Increasing Healthy Ageing Services for Older Persons in Narok, Siaya, Kakamega and Migori Counties of Kenya
As an organization, we have been implementing the “Increasing Older People’s Access to Healthy Ageing Services in Kenya” project since October 2023. The key change agendas for the project include: (i) increasing the enrollment of older persons into NHIF program, (ii) advocating for designation of service points and express services for older persons seeking health services in health facilities, and (iii) promoting the allocation of specific outpatient clinic days for older persons especially for those that have regular appointments for chronic conditions, for their access to priority services.
The project has particularly engaged various Rights Holder Groups, including Older Persons Organizations (OPOs), Older Persons Associations (OPAs), Community-Based Organizations (CBOs), activist groups and Disability institutions and at the same time successfully developed a voice framework that would guide sensitization of informal groups and carry out project advocacy.
To promote the voice and agency of OPOs and OPAs, a three-day virtual Training of Trainers (ToTs) whose participation included ACF staff, OPOs, CBOs, and government representatives on the Voice Framework was conducted, focusing on understanding the significance of voice within the project. The rights holders (older persons) were engaged in the voice framework training at the sub-national levels by ACF volunteers. A key outcome of the project has been the establishment of an intergenerational inclusive OPA in Rotian, Narok County, which advocates for healthy ageing among older persons.
As part of the Age Demands Action (ADA) campaign, we partnered with the Ministry of Health, National Hospital Insurance Fund (NHIF), Ministry of Labour and Social Protection and Narok OPAs on the UN International Day of Older Persons (UNIDOP). The objective was to enhance awareness for increased access to healthy ageing services for older persons in Narok, hold a health outreach, and address NHIF registration and enrollment gaps for older persons in the county. Furthermore, we also partnered with Community Health Promoters, NHIF, and local administration on International Women’s Day (IWD) in Kakamega County where older women shared their experiences on the positive impacts of pensions, including the older person’s cash transfer, in facilitating access to essential health services.
Moreover, we trained twenty-two Community Health Providers (CHPs) in Narok, Migori, and Kakamega counties on the voice framework and the healthcare needs of older persons. This training is crucial for implementing change agenda two, which focuses on creating designated service points for older persons seeking healthcare at facilities. Despite the expected transition from NHIF to SHIF, we have closely collaborated with NHIF at sub-county levels, an essential element for Universal Health Coverage (UHC) and healthy ageing in Narok and Kakamega counties and enrolled older persons under the national health scheme, with reported benefits from the coverage.
As key next steps for an empowered population, advocacy is now expanded to sensitize and create awareness on the Social Health Insurance Fund (SHIF) ahead of the anticipated registration in June 2024. The designation of service points and express services for older persons in health facilities and allocation of specific outpatient clinic days especially for those that have regular appointments for chronic conditions is still a working progress, and we believe that soon it will become a reality.
In conclusion, older persons’ rights are human rights as outlined by the Constitution of Kenya (CoK) 2010 and the World Health Organization (WHO). We should therefore continue working together to advocate against discrimination that often prevents older people from realizing their right to health by taking deliberate measures to help them access services and prevent and/or delay the onset of acute and complicated care needs. Through our engagements with the sub-national health and gender technical working groups and our membership at the health CSOs coordinating body – HENNET, we continue to participate in health dialogues representing the voices of older persons and expanding advocacy for a Universal Health Coverage (UHC) that is fit for an ageing population.