RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 The paediatrician workforce and its role in addressing neonatal, child and adolescent healthcare in Kenya
JF Archives of Disease in Childhood
JO Arch Dis Child
FD BMJ Publishing Group Ltd and Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health
SP 927
OP 931
DO 10.1136/archdischild-2019-318434
VO 105
IS 10
A1 English, Mike
A1 Strachan, Brigid
A1 Esamai, Fabian
A1 Ngwiri, Thomas
A1 Warfa, Osman
A1 Mburugu, Patrick
A1 Nalwa, Grace
A1 Gitaka, Jesse
A1 Ngugi, John
A1 Zhao, Yingxi
A1 Ouma, Paul
A1 Were, Fred
YR 2020
UL http://adc.bmj.com/content/105/10/927.abstract
AB Objective To examine the availability of paediatricians in Kenya and plans for their development.Design Review of policies and data from multiple sources combined with local expert insight.Setting Kenya with a focus on the public, non-tertiary care sector as an example of a low-income and middle-income country aiming to improve the survival and long-term health of newborns, children and adolescents.Results There are 305 practising paediatricians, 1.33 per 100 000 individuals of the population aged <19 years which in total numbers approximately 25 million. Only 94 are in public sector, non-tertiary county hospitals. There is either no paediatrician at all or only one paediatrician in 21/47 Kenyan counties that are home to over a quarter of a million under 19 years of age. Government policy is to achieve employment of 1416 paediatricians in the public sector by 2030, however this remains aspirational as there is no comprehensive training or financing plan to reach this target and health workforce recruitment, financing and management is now devolved to 47 counties. The vast majority of paediatric care is therefore provided by non-specialist healthcare workers.Discussion The scale of the paediatric workforce challenge seriously undermines the ability of the Kenyan health system to deliver on the emerging survive, thrive and transform agenda that encompasses more complex health needs. Addressing this challenge may require innovative workforce solutions such as task-sharing, these may in turn require the role of paediatricians to be redefined. Professional paediatric communities in countries like Kenya could play a leadership role in developing such solutions.