President Uhuru Kenyatta has issued a new directive to Health Ministry officials and the cabinet secretary to emphasize on expanding the reach of dental clinics in the country. The Ministry has followed suit and have plans in place to launch four new clinics in Eldoret, Nyeri, Nairobi and Mombasa within the next one year.
The directive has been hailed as a great first step for the further development of the oral care sector in the nation. Kenya introduced its first National Oral Health Survey (NOHS) in 2015 which laid out the sectors limitations. The current administration is now working rapidly towards meet the limitations laid bare by the same report.
Oral care is now a priority in Kenya and has been integrated in the government’s holistic heath approaches. It is now considered to be of primary importance and will be a prominently featured in the country’s Universal Health Coverage Plane (UHC).
An amount of SH300 million has been put aside for the construction of four new centers for dental treatment. This demonstrates the commitment of the Kenyan Health Ministry towards this goal.
Furthermore, the government is carrying out a scrutiny of the provision and distribution activities involving dental products to ensure that the public receives timely delivery of these products.
Mr. Kenyatta’s announcement is expected to act as a catalyst in the implementation of the same.