It’s true, health is wealth

It is not possible to draw a line between preventive and curative medicine. It is also enigmatic to clearly define individual and community health.

Clearly quantified, time and money spent preventing diseases in the community by health education, immunisation, environmental health and, to an extent, birth control through child spacing plays a major role and has great effect than waiting to spend time and money in treating the sick.

Many Kenyans do not link health to development. We might have the medical facilities, but how do the people live? It is well known that the poor suffer more from ill health than the rich.

The affluent mostly use the available health services less often. The wealthier parts of the country tend to have healthier people and better medical services. 

Although the government has worked hard towards improving health services, economic development and good health go together and improving people’s lives economically, socially and empowering them in all aspects is a big step towards achievement of universal health coverage (UHC). 

Improved health services

That shows national economic development should be accompanied by a fair distribution of money and services.

Development policies should always aim to bring Kenyans together, especially in the rural areas, to fully participate in their own development. Then, they will own all development aspects, including promotion of health services.

We can’t separate improved health services from education, water supplies, sufficient food and proper housing.

This goes along with the WHO’s definition of health: Total well-being of an individual and not the mere absence of disease.

Medical services, especially curative, do little on their own in improving health. Simple environmental management control and good nutrition are the ingredients.

Mr Kigo is an environmentalist. [email protected]