- According to the report, the cost of healthcare is the second most cited by one out of four citizens with 23 per cent saying it is a major challenge.
- Twenty-three per cent in rural areas cited the challenge compared to 31 per cent in Nairobi and 22 per cent in other urban areas.
Lack of medicine in health facilities is the biggest challenge currently facing the health sector, the latest survey has revealed.
The survey findings released on Thursday by Twaweza East Africa found that close to half of Kenyans interviewed (46 per cent) cited lack of drugs as a major concern.
The data was collected from 3,603 respondents between January 23 and February 7, 2024.
This was done through random sampling from an existing database of contacts from previous surveys to establish a nationally representative panel.
According to the survey, 47 per cent of the respondents in rural areas cited the drug shortage challenge, while 38 per cent of Nairobi residents cited it as a major challenge.
"Citizens point to the lack of medicine available at health facilities as the biggest challenge currently facing the sector, cited by close to half of citizens (46 per cent)," the report says.
According to the report, the cost of healthcare is the second most cited by one out of four citizens with 23 per cent saying it is a major challenge.
Twenty-three per cent in rural areas cited the challenge compared to 31 per cent in Nairobi and 22 per cent in other urban areas.
"Other concerns are cited much less. The list of concerns is similar across Nairobi, other urban areas and rural communities," the report says.
Six per cent of Kenyans in rural areas have cited access to health facilities due to distance as a major problem
Overall, five per cent of Kenyans and one per cent in Nairobi think it is a pressing problem.
Four per cent cited access to services due to lack of health care workers as a major challenge while another four per cent cited corruption at the national level.
Three per cent of Kenyans cited inability of facilities to handle diverse diseases while two per cent cited handling of healthcare by county government as their major concern.
A small fraction (one per cent) cited the fact that NHIF does not allow use of a new hospital, being told insurance doesn't cover some diseases and complexities associated with insurance as other factors.