Kakuma: 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.
According to Kenya News Agency, 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, the Kenya Red Cross Society, 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. She highlighted the Kalobeyei Integrated Socio-Economic Development Plan (KISEDP) as a crucial framework for integrating and strengthening all sectors, including healthcare, amid shrinking partner budgets and funding.
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. Dr. Ben Ngoye of the Strathmore Business School’s Institute for Healthcare Management noted that this study coincides with UNHCR’s re-evaluation of its global healthcare policies for refugees.
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, noting that human resources, financing, scope of services, and infrastructure are overstretched.
As part of the study, Dr. Ngoye added that they would map refugees’ healthcare journeys to better understand their access to healthcare.