PS Oluga warns stigma denying thousands of PWDs vital health services
Speaking at the Devolution Conference 2025, Dr Oluga stressed the importance of mapping all Kenyans who require assistive technology to ensure that interventions reach those in need.
Principal Secretary for Medical Services, Dr Ouma Oluga, has sounded the alarm over gaps in support for people with disabilities, warning that stigma is keeping thousands out of official records and away from vital services.
Speaking at the Devolution Conference 2025, Dr Oluga stressed the importance of mapping all Kenyans who require assistive technology to ensure that interventions reach those in need.
More To Read
- Counties urged to ditch costly overseas benchmarking tours amid fiscal constraints
- Kenya’s primary healthcare crisis: Patients struggle despite ‘free’ treatment, SHA registration
- Delivering in fear: The untold impact of disrespect in childbirth
- No gratuity for contract UHC workers transitioning to permanent terms, PS Oluga declares
- New report warns 19 counties without proper disease testing facilities
- Ruto orders action against public hospitals charging outpatient fees
He noted that current registration figures are lower than reality, partly because some families are hesitant to list relatives due to the stigma surrounding disability.
While acknowledging progress in training healthcare workers and distributing assistive devices, he urged continued investment to understand the full range of needs and secure adequate resources.
Enhanced training and capacity building for healthcare workers, he said, are critical to ensuring that people living with disabilities receive appropriate care and guidance on suitable assistive technologies.
Dr Oluga also highlighted changes in global health financing, including the withdrawal of some donor support, emphasising the need for innovative domestic funding solutions to complement government efforts in disability support.
He called for a coordinated approach involving policymakers, healthcare providers, and communities to reduce stigma, increase registration, and ensure that persons living with disabilities are fully included in Kenya’s healthcare system.
“Now is the time for Kenya to ensure no one is left behind,” he said.
Dr Oluga also highlighted broader health system challenges, emphasising the critical role of local vaccine production and financing as a pathway to achieving last-mile vaccination. He called for harnessing technology transfer, implementing sector reforms, and strengthening health systems to support vaccine manufacturing within Kenya.
He further urged structured engagement among all sector players to reduce disorder and maximise efficiency in the healthcare system.
Citing global shifts in health financing, including the withdrawal of donor funding for key programmes and Kenya’s deprioritisation by GAVI, Dr Oluga called for the ring-fencing of sufficient domestic resources to safeguard and sustain the country’s health sector.
Top Stories Today
