With close to 50 percent of documented deaths in Kenya being caused by Non-Communicable Diseases, the future of serving patients hangs in the balance following USAID support cut.
This comes as a large chunk of the Kenyan population is today faced with the challenges of treating one or more NCDs. Statistics from the World Health Organisation reveal a damming of up to 40 percent hospitalised death in Kenya are directly or indirectly linked to NDCs.
In Africa, and by extension Sub-Saharan Africa, health experts have warned that in the next few years, Non-Communicable Diseases will pose the greatest health danger than infectious diseases as health crisis remain a headache to the Continent.
The experts now allude that by 2030, Non-Communicable Diseases like cancer, chronic respiratory conditions, Diabetes and heart diseases will surpus Communicable diseases that include cancer, HIV/Aids, Tuberculosis as well as maternal mortality.
And now with frozen USAID support towards NDCs, the future of patients suffering from these conditions is in oblivion, especially for the poor families in the rural set up whose primary dependence for their treatment has been on USAID support initiatives.
In Busia county for instance, the freezing of Aid by American President Donald Trump has created a big health vacuum that threatens the lives of many patients with conditions of both Communicable and Non-Communicable Diseases.
However, according to Grace Midambo, the county coordinator of NCDs at the Busia Referal Hospital, the impact of the US withdrawal from financially supporting the World Health Organisation and subsequent freezing of USAID support globally has minimally affected the operations of dealing with Non-Communicable Diseases in Busia County. She argues that much of USAID support in Busia was injected into HIV/AIDS programmes and the water department.
She, however, expresses her fears that the Aid cut doubled with high poverty prevalence, malnutrition among other factors could exacerbate the growing crisis of NCDs and CDs not only in Kenya, but across the continent.
In an exclusive interview with Busia County Deputy Governor, who is also health CECM Arthur Odera, the impact of USIAD cut is an issue of great concern, especially in third world countries where health remains a challenge.
Odera confirmed that the decision by the US President Donald Trump to stop the HIV/Aids support was a big blow to the Busia county health department. “When we received that information from the national government, we had to relieve more than 100 Community health workers of their responsibilities to look and give care to HIV/Aids patients” remarked Odera.
He however contends that after a few days diplomatic interventions, global and USAID staff outcry, the national government directed reinstatement of the CHWs given the fragile nature of patients.
Nonetheless, his fear remains the uncertain future of the patients if after nine months grace period Donald Trump decides the totally freeze the support.
“This is the time both national and county governments are looking into ways how to integrate HIV/Aids programmes into systems devoid of external Aids” said Odera.
The deputy Governor noted that there us enough stock of ARV drugs, urging patients not to despair as the government of Kenya is exploring all options to ensure uninterrupted support for patients.
USAID, according to Odera has been supporting a number of activities in busia county which includes Western Kenya Sanitation project, Western Kenya Water project, Dumisha Afya, among many others.