The Kenyan healthcare system index has increased by 14.2 points over the past five years, according to data from Numbeo, a global research database that tracks the quality of healthcare systems worldwide.
The health index measures the extent to which people are healthy and have access to the services they need to stay healthy, including health outcomes, health systems, diseases and risk factors, and mortality rates.
The report shows that Kenya had an index score of 55.0 in mid-2019, rising to 62.8 by mid-2024, an increase of about 7.8 points, indicating moderately satisfactory performance in health services.
Kenya ranked second in Africa, behind South Africa, which topped the index with a score of 63.8. This was an increase of two points from its position in 2019, when it ranked fourth behind South Africa, Tunisia, and Algeria, which had scores of 63.3, 57.4, and 55.1 respectively. Globally, Kenya was ranked 70th in 2019 and will move up to 54th in 2024.
The analysis takes into account several factors, including the skill and competence of medical staff, the speed of examinations and reports, the availability of modern diagnostic and treatment equipment, the accuracy and completeness of medical reports, the friendliness and courtesy of staff, the responsiveness of medical facilities, and the convenience of healthcare locations.
According to the survey results, Kenya has strengths in several areas, but there are also notable gaps. Satisfaction with modern diagnostic equipment is 67.12 percent, and the accuracy of medical reports is 69.10 percent.
In addition, the friendliness and courtesy of the medical staff and the convenience of healthcare locations also received positive marks, with satisfaction scores of 69.10 percent and 74.66 percent respectively.
However, the report highlights several areas that need significant improvement. The responsiveness of medical facilities, particularly in terms of waiting times, received the lowest satisfaction score of 51.03 percent, indicating a critical need for faster service delivery.
The speed of completion of examinations and reports scored 59.03 percent, while satisfaction with healthcare costs was 56.16 percent, highlighting affordability concerns for many residents.
"Kenya scored well in terms of convenient locations for patients and friendliness and courtesy of staff, with moderate scores for cost of care and responsiveness to patient needs," the survey said.
The report comes amid challenges in Kenya's pursuit of Universal Health Coverage (UHC) during the transition from the defunct National Health Insurance Fund to the Social Health Authority (SHA), where both healthcare providers and patients face various difficulties in delivering and receiving quality services.
The latest survey shows that 94 percent of patients using private hospitals pay cash for healthcare services, underscoring the financial burden on patients during this transition.
"This high rate of out-of-pocket payments highlights a significant challenge within Kenya's health insurance system, particularly for outpatient services and for patients who are unregistered or not fully covered under the current SHA framework. While the SHA is working to expand coverage, many patients continue to face direct costs, highlighting the need for more comprehensive insurance solutions," the survey report said.
