Abstract

This paper explores the universal health coverage (UHC) roll-out process in Kenya through the lens of its potential to progressively realise the constitutional promise of sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) in Kenya. We argue that SRHR requires significant attention to be paid to preventive and promotive approaches to health and that this requires interrogation of barriers around access to information, norms, and legal and policy frameworks. We then unpack the UHC process in Kenya, its genesis, development and eventual roll-out, focusing on the essential benefits package and its components. We argue that a process of democratic priority-setting cognisant of equity, non-discrimination and transparency will better deliver on an essential benefits package for access to SRHR that is legitimate and acceptable. As a result, we submit that Kenya’s UHC process fails to take cognisance of the weight placed on sexual and reproductive health in our Constitution and fails to address historical inequities around accessing health services.

摘要

本文通过其在肯尼亚逐步实现宪法承诺的性健康和生殖健康及权利（SRHR）的潜力，探讨了全民健康覆盖（UHC）在肯尼亚的推广过程。我们认为，SRHR 需要高度重视预防性和促进性健康方法，这需要审视获取信息、规范以及法律和政策框架方面的障碍。然后，我们解析肯尼亚的全民健康覆盖进程、其起源、发展和最终推出，重点关注基本福利方案及其组成部分。我们认为，认识到公平、非歧视和透明度的民主优先事项设定过程将更好地为获得合法且可接受的 SRHR 提供基本福利方案。因此，我们认为肯尼亚的全民健康覆盖进程未能认识到我国宪法对性健康和生殖健康的重视，也未能解决历史上在获得卫生服务方面的不平等问题。