Examining patient choice and provider competition under the National Health Insurance Fund outpatient cover in Kenya: does it enhance access and quality of care?

Background: While patient choice and provider competition are predicted to influence provider behaviour for enhancing access and quality of care, evidence on provider perceptions and response to patient choice and provider competition is largely missing in low-resource settings such as Kenya. We examined provider and purchaser perceptions about whether patient choice and provider competition influenced provider behaviour and enhanced access and quality of outpatient care in Kenya.

Methods: We conducted a qualitative study to explore this across two purposefully selected counties.

Systematic review on the cost of seasonal malaria chemoprevention (SMC).

Background: Implemented in 17 countries to date, seasonal malaria chemoprevention (SMC) is a recommended strategy to prevent childhood malaria in areas with seasonal transmission of P. falciparum through monthly administration of antimalarial medicines. Understanding the costs and resource requirements of SMC delivery is necessary for effective planning and resource allocation.

Health-related quality of life of HIV patients with comorbidities of hypertension or diabetes in Ghana.

Background: Clinical studies, particularly in the context of HIV/AIDS, have utilized health-related quality of life (HRQoL) and health state utility values to assess both clinical and economic implications. Improvement in HIV management with antiretroviral therapy (ART) has coincided with an increased morbidity of chronic conditions such as diabetes and hypertension among people living with HIV. The study offers empirical evidence establishing a link between HIV, comorbidities like hypertension and diabetes, and their collective impact on HRQoL.

Financing immunisation in Kenya: examining bottlenecks in health sector planning and budgeting at the decentralised level.

Background: Decentralisation has increasingly been adopted by countries as an important health sector reform aimed at increasing community participation in decision making while enhancing swift response at decentralised levels, to accelerate the attainment of health system goals. Kenya adopted a devolved system of government where health services delivery became a function of the 47 semi-autonomous county governments with planning and budgeting functions practised at both levels of government. This study sought to explore challenges facing health sector planning and budgeting and how they affect immunisation service delivery at the county level.