Our research on health systems and COVID-19 aims to generate evidence to inform a health system response to COVID-19 that leverages on health system functions to enhance resilience.

What questions are we trying to answer?

Current COVID-19 health system research seeks to answer the following questions:

• What is the capacity and readiness of the health system to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic?
• What is the impact of COVID-19 on health system functions?
• What are the indirect health and socio-economic effects of COVID-19?
• What health system arrangements and responses will enhance country response to COVID-19?
• What is the economics of COVID-19 and health system responses?
• How is the health system responding to the COVID-19 pandemic?

What are the examples of ongoing studies on health systems and COVID-19?

Examining the capacity and readiness of the health system

We are carrying out studies to assess the capacity and readiness of health workers in health facilities, and pharmacies. We are also assessing the health system readiness and capacity for other health inputs including infrastructure, equipment and essential supplies as well as systems and processes. Hospital managers, senior and junior clinicians (doctors, nurses, pharmacists) will be interviewed about their experiences of the changes made in hospitals to help provide care for COVID-19 cases (e.g. use of new equipment or reorganizing of wards) and how they have managed to sustain routine services. Health care capacity monitoring will also be performed at pre-determined intervals.

Effect of the COVID-19 on healthcare financing

We are investigating how the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted on the financing of essential health services and prioritization of Universal Health Coverage. We are also looking existing and adapted health financing functions, with a focus on purchasing and public finance management, influence the capacity of the Kenyan health system to respond to COVID-19

Setting COVID-19 health care priorities

We are carrying out costing and economic evaluation of COVID-19 intervention to inform priority setting and purchasing. These include the costing of COVID-19 case management and non-pharmaceutical interventions, and a cost-effectiveness analysis of a) essential and advanced critical care for COVID-19, and b) COVID-19 vaccines.

Health system resilience to COVID-19

We are using secondary data to assess the impact of COVID-19 on the delivery of essential health services. We are also assessing country response to the pandemic and how this has affected the resilience of the Kenyan health system to the pandemic.