The Senior Health Management Team has been briefed on an upcoming study to be conducted in Kakuma Refugee Camp and Kalobeyei Settlement, aimed at examining refugee access to healthcare services and its impact on the broader health ecosystem.
The study titled “Health Systems Resilience Enhancement and Refugee Response Project: Kenya Case Study” has been commissioned by UNHCR and will be carried out by Strathmore University through interviews.
The qualitative study will engage key stakeholders, including the Sub-County Health Management Team, the International Rescue Committee (responsible for healthcare in Kakuma), the Kenya Red Cross Society (operating in Kalobeyei), frontline actors, and policymakers.
Sarah Lokaale, County Deputy Director of Policy, Planning, Monitoring, and Evaluation, emphasized the importance of considering the impact of the host community on refugee healthcare services and vice versa in the study.
“The Kalobeyei Integrated Socio-Economic Development Plan (KISEDP) underscores the need for integration to strengthen all sectors, including healthcare, especially as partner budgets and funding continue to shrink,” she said.
The KISEDP is a comprehensive, 15-year, multi-sectoral initiative aimed at benefiting both refugees and the host community in the county. It is currently in its second phase, spanning from 2023 to 2027.
“This study comes at a time when UNHCR is re-evaluating its global healthcare policies for refugees,” said Dr. Ben Ngoye of the Strathmore Business School’s Institute for Healthcare Management.
The study aims to inform policies in refugee-hosting countries on improving healthcare access, provide insights on building resilient healthcare systems, and explore the supporting role UNHCR will play. Similar studies have been commissioned in other selected countries.
Dr. Job Okemwa, County Tuberculosis, Leprosy, and Lung Diseases Coordinator and Chair of the Research Health Committee, highlighted the challenges faced by healthcare systems in refugee camps and settlements.
“Human resources for health, financing, scope of services, and infrastructure are overstretched, with heightened risks of disease outbreaks,” he said.
As part of the study, Dr. Ngoye added that they would map refugees’ healthcare journeys to better understand their access to healthcare.
By peter Gitonga
