Older persons in Kenya are at a significantly higher risk of hospitalization for non-communicable diseases (NCDs).
Despite this, the new Social Health Authority (SHA) appears exclusionary toward this vulnerable demographic by creating access barriers.
In 2019, 2.74 million were 60 years old and above, by 2025 the number has risen to 3.6 million, this is according to the National Council for Population and Development (NCPD).
Advocates warn that without deliberate inclusion, the health system risks collapsing under the weight of the growing ageing population’s needs.
Speaking during the monthly discussion forum on Ageing organized by Ageing concern Foundation (ACF) and Suqoon, Kenneth Marago, an elderly person living with chronic kidney disease, said that SHA has yet to fulfill its promise of inclusive coverage.
“We were told that under SHA we will have three dialysis sessions a week in line with international standards this is not the case,”
Echoing his frustrations Brian Otwal from HelpAge International said people not only face limited coverage but also hurdles in simply signing up for the scheme which proved hard for the older generation as it requires digital literacy.
To plug the existing gaps CSOs have had to step in to help.
“l have had to step in to assist with SHA registration, which many elderly Kenyans find complex. The system is not elder-friendly. We had a case of an elderly woman who had registered but not activated her membership and had to sell her cow to cover her hospital bills.”
Dr. Samson Kuhora, Head of planning and linkages at SHA acknowledged the cost challenge noting that the cost of treating older people is significantly higher than that of younger people.
“The data we have from the now defunct National Health Insurance fund (NHIF) shows that the cost of treating an older person in Kenya is four times higher than that of a 16-year-old,” he said.
“54 per cent of renal failure cases are among those aged 54 and above and mostly due to unmanaged diabetes,” he added underscoring the burden of NCDs among older adults.
As Kenya’s elderly population grows daily, advocates say universal access must become a priority, not just a policy aspiration.
