KENYA – Kenya Medical Supplies Authority (KEMSA) has dispensed a consignment of sunscreen agents worth KES 54 million (US$470,000) to more than 192 public health facilities to alleviate the plight of persons living with albinism (PWAs).
KEMSA is a specialized medical logistics provider for public health facilities and programmes under the Kenya’s Ministry of Health whose mandate is to procure, warehouse and distribute medical supplies.
It is the first point of call for procurement, warehousing and distribution of Health Products and Technologies listed in relevant essential lists at various county referral hospitals.
The state agency supplied medical stock consisting of sunscreen agents with a sun protection factor of 50 and above (SPF 50+) which is a public health requirement and the agents are now listed in the Kenya Essential Medicine list.
The consignment of sunscreen agents valued at more than KES 54 million comprises of lip-balms, after-sun lotion, adult and children sunscreen lotions.
The KEMSA Acting Chief Executive Officer John Kabuchi and senior officials from the National Council for Persons with Disabilities (NCPWD) attended the event to flag-off delivery vehicles heading to more than 45 counties.
KEMSA Acting Chief Executive Officer John Kabuchi reaffirmed that the Authority will be managing the procurement, warehousing and last-mile delivery of sunscreen agents to public health facilities to ensure the comfort of persons living with albinism.
John Kabuchi further revealed that the Kenya Medical Supplies Authority and the National Council for Persons with Disabilities are working together to ensure that the sunscreen agents are delivered promptly to all health facilities.
“The distribution of the sunscreen agents to more than 3,800 persons with albinism is one of the flagship National Council for Persons with Disabilities support programmes,” he added.
NCPWD Executive Director Harun Hassan explained that the Council has been implementing support programmes to cushion persons with albinism from harmful sun rays that lead to skin cancer.
Director Harun Hassan assured that one bottle of Nivea sunscreen lotion will be provided to every registered Person with Albinism on a monthly basis as well as one after sun lotion every two months.
“Besides sunscreen and after-sun lotions, lip balms have also been procured for PWAs who are entitled to a piece each month,” he further said.
Earlier, KEMSA delivered essential medical supplies worth over KES 200 million (US$1.7 million) to various counties as part of ongoing efforts to ensure the national scale-up of the Universal Health Coverage programme
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