Kenya has a shortfall of 31,229 health workers and needs to build the capacity of the medics to increase the skills pool.
This is in a bid to improve health outcomes as a key requirement towards attaining Universal Health Coverage (UHC).
This was revealed during the 16th Annual Scientific Conference at Mombasa’s Pride Inn Paradise Resort, where more than 1,000 members of the Pharmaceutical Association converged.
Addressing the professionals, Mount Kenya University founder Simon Gicharu said improving access to and use of health services will enable Kenyans to be more productive and active contributors to their families, society and the country’s economic development.
He noted that attaining UHC will remain elusive because of unequal access to different healthcare services.
Mr Gicharu said that because of geographical and social-cultural barriers and the high costs associated with accessing services, most interventions are not reaching the people that need them
“As the government continues to implement UHC as one of its Big Four agenda, this will ensure that all individuals in Kenya have access to quality essential health services without suffering from financial hardship,” he said.