Ensure continuity of schools' medical cover programme

The medical cover introduced by the government through the presidential decree in 2018 for more than 3.4 million students in secondary schools will come to an end on December 31, 2023.

This was made public in September by the Chief Executive Officer of the National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF), the insurer contracted by the Education Ministry to provide the coverage, when he met the Parliamentary Committee on Health.

The cover, which was introduced as one of the support programmes to the four-pillar agenda of the Jubilee government to enhance Universal Health Care in support of President Mwai Kibaki's government's Free and Compulsory Primary Education, Free Day Secondary Education and the 100 per cent transition policy, has injected life into the education sector for the last five years. That is why it should continue.

Since it was launched, however, the scheme has faced its fair share of challenges such as low enrolment of students to the National Education Management Information System (NEMIS) database due to lack of internet, low motivation of principals, absence of birth certificates among learners, lack of well-equipped medical facilities around schools which has for quite some time made learners be transported to far places in search for services and lack of adequate personnel in public health facilities across the country.

These challenges though glaring, have not stopped learners from getting the bare minimum services that could keep them going. Initially, learners would be sent home if they needed medical attention. The travel home and back to school every time learners felt unwell led to time wastage and exposed learners to a number of risks such as early pregnancies and drug abuse.

Those who travelled longer distances would be exposed to worse risks such as road accidents which, in some instances, ended up claiming the lives of the learners.

The cover which takes care of outpatient services, dental cover, optical cover, life cover, overseas treatment and specialised outpatient referrals which include renal and dialysis services, radiology, chronic ailments and cancer treatment has played a key role in keeping learners, especially those who may not have the privilege of accessing any other medical cover from their homes, in school,

Learners can be classified according to their background and the ability of their parents and guardians to provide for their basic needs. Health, being one of the most critical and essential needs for populations in the third world countries, plays a significant role in enabling good livelihoods.

A study by Population Service International (PSI, 2019) revealed that 62 per cent of the total population of learners in secondary schools in Kenya come from vulnerable and needy populations- those who need to be supported to be able to sustain an average lifestyle which includes housing, clothing, education and medical needs.

Our attention is therefore on the vulnerable; those who heavily depend on EduAfya - the population that acknowledges and appreciates that this government programme means everything for them. Suspending this programme would be a life-threatening decision.

The NHIF boss only mentioned the transition from NHIF to Staff Health Insurance Fund (SHIF) as the reason for the suspension.

Studies have revealed that school going girls are five times more at risk of dropping out of school and being exposed to early marriages when not accorded medical attention than boys. A study conducted in Busia and Siaya counties in August 2019 showed that three out of every 10 girls dropped out of school due to early pregnancies caused by boda boda riders who provided them with sanitary pads.

The same studies indicated that two out of every 10 girls who dropped out of school during the period were impregnated by a stranger who assisted them to get home to seek medication when they became unwell in school. The same study also showed that with the introduction of EduAfya, most of these cases reduced significantly between 2019 and 2022.

It goes without saying that the EduAfya programme has contributed immensely in retaining learners in schools. The Kenya National Union of Teachers therefore implores the National government to see to it that the transition from NHIF to SHIF does not affect this wonderful programme that has not only kept learners in schools but also helped improve provision of quality teaching and learning.