By Charles Ochieng’, Programme Officer, Youth and Gender
After any disaster, comes an opportunity to learn from it for better preparedness in handling similar disaster much better in the future. The way Malaria is being handled by world nations should give us solace bearing in mind that in the history of mankind, it is the most killer disease ever been recorded; the global community through world health organization [ W.H.O] should use this pandemic as a yardstick to come up with new innovative ways to mitigate such pandemic in the future.
Rhetoric that is being displayed by the United States of America’s president Donald Trump when he threatened to withdraw funding for the World Health Organization (WHO) is totally misplaced and if anything this Covid – 19 has taught us the essence of preparedness and sent the world health organization back to the drawing board with a sole duty of coming up with clear policies and guidelines on how to handle similar and different pandemics in the future, it has also invoked the need for complementary work by all world nations towards the same. Countries that share borders and has got unique challenges and opportunities should build synergies on war against such pandemics and others that may occur in the future. On individual level we must appreciate the fact that change starts from self and sprout out to the outside world, hence matters health should be taken seriously at individual level and my hope is that the current regular hand cleaning and sanitization becomes a ritual in our daily lives moving forward and in the words of our president; it should become our new normal
Covid – 19 has also taught us that proper planning in terms of physical and demographic structures is key in addressing world emerging issues and in this regard, the government as a matter of priority must expedite the release of Huduma number to the citizenry; the information in Huduma number will help in the identification of the level of vulnerability of citizens and gaps where mitigation can be brought in to help fill the void. Covid – 19 has also taught and continues to teach us that although we have advanced in terms of technology and our science is doing tremendous work in the field of health, we as members of the global community should not seat in our comfort zone, we must always remain vigilant and watchful for any eventuality hence the need to enhance in the field of research and innovation
To the government of Kenya, this pandemic should be a catalyst to expedite the universal health care and ensure that all Kenyans are able to afford it; the president although very concerned about the big four should now cultivate a legacy around universal and affordable healthcare which if achieved will see historian preserving a page for him as a president who rose to the occasion at the time of need to set his people in the best development trajectory.