The demand for pharmacists in all sectors of pharmacy practice is set to rise as the national government seeks to increase Universal Health Coverage (UHC) in the country.

Educationist and founder of Mount Kenya University (MKU) Prof. Simon Gicharu noted that the universal health coverage will increase the demand for pharmacists and other medical personnel and contends that action is needed to encourage more people to take up health careers.

Prof. Gicharu noted that the government is committed to providing UHC under the ‘Big Four Agenda’ as part of its socio-economic transformation by providing equitable, affordable and quality healthcare of the highest standard to all Kenyans.

The national government is championing the big four agenda of food security and nutrition, affordable housing, universal healthcare and manufacturing.

Prof. Gicharu said attainment of universal healthcare has remained elusive due to unequal access to different health care services and due to poor distribution and use of resources.

He said ideally the country should produce more pharmacists and other health personnel to keep up with the growing demand.

He went on “improving access to and use of health services will enable Kenyans to be more productive and active contributors to their families, communities, society at large, and contribute to the country’s economic development as universal health care is expected to bring health and development efforts together and contribute to poverty reduction”.

Prof. Gicharu who is also the chairman of the Rural Electrification and Renewable Energy Corporation (REREC) was speaking in Mombasa at a Kenya Pharmaceutical Association (KPA) retreat at the Prideinn Paradise Beach Resort.

KPA chairman Benjamin Mbugua and Dorcas Too, the national secretary general KPA were among the KPA leadership at their annual retreat.

He said the association as a key stakeholder with the largest membership of pharmaceutical personnel in Kenya (over 8000 members) has a duty to ensure that its members uphold good professional practices in their pharmacy practice.

Prof. Gicharu pointed out that the pharmacy sector has experienced a lot of negative publicity through such things as counterfeit medicines and renting out of licenses.

He said most UHC interventions are not reaching the people that most need them in the countryside due to geographical and socio-cultural barriers and high costs associated with accessing and using available services.

Prof. Gicharu also noted that in developing the Kenya Health Sector Strategic Plan 2018-2023, the government acknowledges that there is a need to develop human resources for health if the country is to attain the universal healthcare by 2022.

The Strategic Plan notes that the country has 68,085 health care workers in the public sector and 10,626 in private sector totaling to 78,711 healthcare workers against a population of approximately 47.8 million people.

He pointed out that the health worker population ratio of 16.5/10,000 is below WHOs recommendation of 23/10,000 healthcare workers per 10,000 populations.