NAIROBI, Sept. 17 (Xinhua) -- More than 4,000 delegates drawn from 25 African countries are due to meet in Kenya next week for a regional conference that will focus on the provision of universal health coverage (UHC) in the region, organizers said on Tuesday.
The Sept. 24-26 Medic East Africa conference organized by an international event company, Informa Markets will bring together regional healthcare and medical laboratory industry players.
Ryan Sanderson, Informa Markets Exhibition director said the three-day conference will create an opportunity for industry players in the healthcare sector to discuss the latest trends in UHC.
"The healthcare management conference, which is spearheaded by the East Africa Healthcare Federation, will focus on the progress and financing of universal healthcare policies," Sanderson said in a statement issued in Nairobi.
He said the public health conference, in association with the Kenya Medical Association, will discuss the roles of regional medical associations in strengthening universal health coverage.
"The clinical officers' conference will address the critical part that clinical officers play in upholding a strong healthcare infrastructure," said Sanderson.
According to health experts, Kenya's health sector is expected to grow at a faster rate than the overall economy.
This sector is valued at 220 billion shillings (2.2 billion U.S. dollars) and contributes 2 percent to the country's gross domestic product (GDP).
"This will be the seventh Medic East Africa conference to be held. In total, more than 200 exhibitors from 25 countries will be present, running alongside over 60 high-level conference presentations, welcoming 4,000 attendees," Sanderson.
In 2018, Kenya launched a pilot UHC scheme in four counties - Kisumu, Isiolo, Machakos and Nyeri which have a high prevalence of communicable and non-communicable diseases, high population density, high maternal mortality, and high incidence of road traffic injuries.
