Kenya: Move to boost health care

All public hospitals will receive funds directly from the Government from next year in a new plan aimed at improving health care. The funding switch comes against a background of rising death rates among babies and children under five, blamed on increases in malaria, HIV/Aids, tuberculosis, and other preventable illnesses affecting mothers and children. The plan to introduce direct funding - instead of hospitals having to apply to the Treasury for their money - is part of a wider scheme that will also see the Government hire about 3,800 new health workers, mostly nurses, out of the 10,000 they need.