Third Kilifi health forum opens with urgent calls for financing, digital solutions
Governor Mung’aro said the county is increasingly relying on research-backed planning to inform its decisions on Universal Health Coverage (UHC), maternal and adolescent health, and the management of both infectious and non-communicable diseases.
The third edition of the Kilifi County Health Scientific Symposium opened on Tuesday, drawing renewed attention to the region’s struggle to strengthen its healthcare system amid rising demand for essential services.
The meeting, taking place at the Kilifi Convention Centre, has brought together medical researchers, frontline practitioners and development partners for two days of presentations on evidence-based solutions to local health challenges.
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Launching the forum, Kilifi Governor Gideon Mung’aro said the county is increasingly relying on research-backed planning to inform its decisions on Universal Health Coverage (UHC), maternal and adolescent health, and the management of both infectious and non-communicable diseases.
“Kilifi is steadily positioning itself as a hub for medical research and innovation. The findings presented here will guide how we shape our health priorities to ensure residents receive better and more equitable services,” he said.
Speakers at the opening session underscored persistent gaps in care for mothers and young people, warning that preventable complications remain common due to weak support structures within communities and health facilities.
Kilifi Governor Gideon Mung'aro, left, during the third edition of the Kilifi County Health Scientific Symposium. (Photo: Farhiya Hussein)
Governor Mung’aro also raised concerns about health financing, revealing that the county is owed more than Sh300 million from the Social Health Authority (SHA), money he said has already been spent on treating patients under the new social insurance scheme.
“The fund is indeed helping patients access services, but the counties are bearing the financial cost. We are operating under severe pressure because these reimbursements have not been released,” he said.
Delegates are expected to analyse the impact of ongoing health financing reforms, including the rollout of the Social Health Insurance Fund (SHIF), at a time when external donor support is shrinking and demand for services continues to rise.
Technological innovation has also taken centre stage, with presentations lined up on digital tools for disease surveillance, platforms aimed at improving service quality, and proposals to stabilise drug supply chains in county facilities.
Across the two-day programme, experts from KEMRI–Wellcome Trust, Pwani University, the Ministry of Health, non-profit organisations and county health teams will lead discussions on communicable and non-communicable diseases, mental health, primary healthcare networks and wider system reforms.
The symposium will close today with the launch of a set of health policy documents intended to guide Kilifi’s next steps towards achieving Universal Health Coverage (UHC).
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