Assessing the Status of Kenya's Healthcare Infrastructure: Perceptions of the Role of U.S. Foreign Aid in Kenya’s Healthcare Infrastructure Development

Abstract

Healthcare provision is a key aspect of a country’s strength. Global south countries including Kenya have for many years relied heavily on support from developed countries to effectively manage the healthcare sector. Infrastructure development has over the years taken both bilateral and multilateral dimensions with Kenya’s development partners like the United States becoming very crucial in the journey for stronger healthcare systems. The current study sought to assess the status of Kenya’s healthcare infrastructure. The study was conducted in Nairobi city county with various healthcare stakeholders including officials from various hospitals, government officials and healthcare beneficiaries being part of the study. The study utilised both cross-sectional research designs and descriptive research design, leveraging Resource dependence theory to understand how aid foreign aid contributes to health sector. The sample on the study included 371 head of departments in hospitals which was determined through Yamane (1967) formular and 14 key informants were sampled purposively and 40 FGD participants. Findings of the study revealed that Majority of the respondents, 189 (63%), disagreed with the assertion that the available healthcare infrastructure sufficiently meets the population’s needs. The findings further revealed that majority of the respondents, 186 (62%), agreed that healthcare facilities are well-maintained. The study indicated that 243 (81%), strongly agreed that digital systems are widely used in healthcare facilities. The study concludes that the status of healthcare infrastructure in Kenya is in dire need of improvement with the findings pointing towards infrastructure that is not sufficiently meets the population’s needs. The study recommends that it is essential for Kenya to prioritize sustained investments, particularly in informal settlements, where healthcare facilities remain insufficient to meet the growing population's needs.