Wellness & Fitness

Ticad should open doors for ties with Japan health corporations

GRAD

Misao Okawa, who was the world’s oldest woman in 2014, celebrating her 116th birthday at a nursing home in Osaka. Japan’s health system success is perhaps reflected in its life expectancy being the highest amongst nations. PHOTO | AFP

The recent TICAD VI conference in Nairobi cast a spotlight on Japan’s relations with African countries.

All industry deliberators took stock of previous engagements, the current situation and as the objectives of the conference states, learnt the new desired path, with trade being the main agenda.

For those of us in healthcare, Japan’s health system success is perhaps reflected in its life expectancy being the highest amongst nations, with an average of 83.10 years.

From a broad perspective, this is not just a measure of her health systems, but also the social equality in distribution of resources, quality of life and financial inclusion of a nation.

Unlike most developed countries, Japan still has a health system deeply rooted on social health and incorporating the needs of even the poor.

Because of this her private health sector may not be as vibrant or liberally operated as say the United States of America.

Looking across the Kenyan health scene, Japan has been a long term partner in development of health systems in the country. This aid has been through improving research and training facilities notably the nursing and medical universities.

Support for improving public health infrastructure for hospitals, affiliated units, ambulance and referral system as well as Water Sanitation and Hygiene WASH projects have also benefitted in the past from Japanese grants.

Last year’s pledge by the Japanese government through the “Health Sector Policy Loan for attainment of the Universal Health Coverage” is a novel engagement approach.

At Sh2.9 billion, the facility is meant to support initiatives from the health ministry in increasing access to healthcare for Kenyans in low socio-economic standing.

Going forward though and as TICAD VI hopes, new engagements need to be forged to chart a future course especially for interventions in healthcare. A major shortcoming of public health support is that the sustainability and longevity of such projects is poor.

Perhaps a stock take of the activities supported in the last 10 years should tell the Japanese the successes or failures of their interventions.

While Japan’s health system is rooted in public and social health, Kenya’s has a vibrant private scene that helps meet the public side’s deficits. Past engagement has mainly been on a government to government basis at least in healthcare.

However with the private sector surpassing the public sector in terms of volume and expenditure, private health entrepreneurs have become a big pie.

What is now needed is development financing beyond grants and donations to public institutions. With trade being what TICAD VI hopes for, Japanese businesses have to fight it out with the other nations.

How can the technology advantage Japanese health equipment manufacturer enjoy be passed to the hands of Kenyan private doctors? It is time the Japanese begin engaging with Kenyan health entrepreneurs.

In a previous article, I gave statistics on the source of origin of medical devices and equipment in hospitals and doctor’s clinics. Japanese giants like Fuji, and Shimadzu among other, are fading to oblivion in terms of local presence.

From the leasing deal where GE, Mindray and others won tenders locking the Japanese out, their firms should now eye the private sector.

Development loans and repayable grants to doctors and specifically health entrepreneurs either as equipment or financing for the same is what we need. After all even in Kenya’s private health sector we still run on a social enterprise business model.

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