By REBECCA WANGARI
The Africa Population and Health Research Center (APHRC), in partnership with the Ministry of Health and the Murang’a County Government, is set to roll out a programme targeting people living with multiple chronic conditions.
Dubbed M-Care, the programme will provide a single platform where patients can have multiple conditions assessed and treated, unlike the current system where patients often have to see several specialists for different conditions.
The five-year project is being funded by the European Research Council and is also being piloted in Ghana and Uganda.
Professor Charles Agyemang, a representative of the European Research Council, said M-Care is targeting people from low socio-economic backgrounds who often struggle to access quality healthcare for their conditions.
Agyemang said the programme will also incorporate mental healthcare to provide residents with a more holistic approach to treatment.
“Our aim is to create a one-stop shop for people with multiple chronic conditions instead of them moving from one facility to another to see a specialist for each condition,” he said.
“This will save them the time and money they would spend on transport, which they can use to meet other basic needs,” he added.
Speaking during the launch of the programme in Murang’a, Dr Gershim Asiki, the lead coordinator in the Chronic Disease Management Research Unit at APHRC, said an integrated approach to healthcare would ensure that no condition is left unattended.
Asiki noted that cases of diabetes, hypertension and high cholesterol are rising globally, with developing countries experiencing a higher prevalence.
“The programme will help improve medical care for people with chronic conditions so that they can lead quality lives,” said Asiki.
He said the organisation will select 100 health facilities in the county to pilot the programme for 12 months before its full rollout.
“We will facilitate this by training medical officers, creating electronic health records, providing medical equipment and increasing the supply of drugs in these facilities,” he added.
Mercy Karanja, the Ministry of Health head of mental health, said incorporating mental wellness into primary healthcare would go a long way towards addressing the country’s mental health challenges.
Karanja said about a quarter of Kenya’s adult population suffers from mental health conditions, yet there remains a significant treatment gap.
“We expect better outcomes for non-communicable diseases through an integrated approach in which mental health is also prioritised,” said Karanja.
“Failure to recognise mental health conditions affects the outcomes of other conditions and metabolic disorders,” she added.
James Mburu, the Murang’a County Director of Health, said the programme would boost healthcare in the county by leveraging existing structures in the sector.
Mburu said the county had digitised its health sector, making it possible to harness critical data that can be used by research organisations and scientists.
“We are now mature enough to bring on board researchers to utilise the data to help develop strategies to respond to the rising burden of NCDs and mental health, both at the county and national level,” he said.
