Ruto Under Pressure to Declare a National Emergency

Pressure is mounting on President William Ruto to declare a national emergency over the rising cases of diseases. 

Religious leaders, health experts, and advocacy groups are calling for urgent government intervention over the increase in Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs) in Kenya.

According to the leaders, the country is likely to have a health crisis that could cripple families and the economy.

During a forum held at PCEA Milele Resort in Nakuru on Wednesday, March 5, the National Council of Churches of Kenya (NCCK) South Rift Region sounded an alarm over the escalating burden of NCDs, which account for over 39% of all deaths in Kenya and 50% of hospital admissions.

The leaders warned that the situation will spiral out of control unless immediate action is taken, leaving millions of Kenyans unable to access affordable treatment.

“We appeal to the government to speedily declare Non-Communicable Diseases a national emergency to ensure adequate attention and action across the state to stop the pandemic from worsening,” the statement read in part. 

Also Read: Ruto Under Pressure to Declare 4 Diseases a National Emergency

NCCK Pressure Ruto to Declare a National Emergency

According to the Ministry of Health, lifestyle diseases such as diabetes, hypertension, and cardiovascular illnesses are increasing at an alarming rate.

Moreover, it is concerning is the fact that these conditions are no longer affecting only the elderly; with children and young adults increasingly being diagnosed with NCDs due to unhealthy diets and sedentary lifestyles.

“Statistics show that 77% of the health expenditure of Kenyan households goes to management of Non-Communicable Diseases. On average, it costs a patient Ksh130,000 per year to manage an NCD that does not have complications,” added NCCK. 

Additionally, the council noted that most survivors are devastated by the fact that the health coverage benefits under the Social Health Authority / Social Health Insurance Fund (SHA/SHIF) are way below the average cost of treatment. 

“We anticipate that NCD related complications will rise in the short term due to non-compliance among the middle-level and low-income communities,” explained the council.

Also Read: Ruto Responds to Catholic Bishops

NCCK Calls for Strict Regulations on Unhealthy Food Marketing

The Religious leaders have also taken issue with aggressive marketing of unhealthy foods, especially to children.

They criticized the media and food corporations for prioritizing profits over public health, calling for strict regulations to curb the advertisement of sugary, high-fat, and high-salt foods.

“It is a major risk for the nation that highly processed foods and sugar-sweetened beverages are intensively marketed on media and social structures.

“We find it diabolical that these advertisements are primarily targeted at children, who are already at risk of being diagnosed with NCDs,” they urged.

Consequently, the leaders have demanded the implementation of Front of Pack Warning Labels (FOPWL) to inform consumers about the nutritional content of processed foods, explaining that the public has a right to transparent information about what they are consuming.

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