Briefing Paper

Impact of COVID-19 Measures on Kenya’s Health System

Health is a very important component of human capital development for any country since healthy workers can be more productive and more efficient and at full potential without frequent absenteeism. The first Kenyan COVID-19 case was reported on 12th March 2020. The COVID-19 pandemic touched the core sector of the economy; the health sector. The measures undertaken by the Government to curb the spread of the virus not only impacted the health sector but also people who seek services from the sector, leading to unintended consequences on other aspects of health. This study focuses on the status of the health sector before and during the first 6 months of COVID-19, the level of preparedness of the health sector for the pandemic, and the impact of the measures on selected health indicators.