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{
    "id": 1341178,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1341178/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 448,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Dr Susan Nakhumicha",
    "speaker_title": "The Cabinet Secretary for Health",
    "speaker": null,
    "content": "Constitution of Kenya, 2010, and the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities aim to protect, promote and fulfil the health rights of the deaf and hard-of-hearing. The Disability Mainstreaming Strategy (2018-2022) outlines the need for external disability mainstreaming measures in various thematic areas, including health. It emphasises the need for information on health services to persons with disabilities in accessible formats such as Kenyan Sign Language and other augmentative methods of communication. The Ministry of Health has prioritised this to ensure that the deaf and hard-of-hearing do not face barriers in communication at healthcare facilities. The Ministry of Health, guided by policies, strategies, and guidelines, is capacity- building health workers across all levels of service delivery, including training in speech pathology and sign language communication. This critical intervention is bridging the gap in access to trained and registered sign language interpreters who are few in the country. As of 2019, the Kenya Medical Training College has offered a higher national course, that is, a Diploma in Audiology and Hearing Care Technology, to improve access to sign language interpreters at public health facilities. Sign language courses are also offered at KMTC colleges in Nairobi, Murang’a, and Molo campuses, with further plans to integrate sign language into the training of all healthcare workers. Some healthcare workers stationed in various hospitals such as the Kenyatta National Hospital, the Kenyatta University Teaching and Referral Hospital, and Mbagathi Hospital have been trained in sign language communication. Some county government health facilities such as the Kisumu County Referral Hospital and the Jaramogi Oginga Odinga Teaching and Referral Hospital have also employed sign language interpreters to offer auxiliary services to deaf and hard-of-hearing patients. The Ministry of Health also collaborates with the Ministry of Education through programmes with local Education Assessment Resource Centres (EARCs). These link county health facilities and people with hearing disabilities in the community by providing sign language interpreters. In one of the most significant strategic linkages and partnerships in rehabilitative services, the Ministry of Health has partnered with ATscale, which is a global partnership for assistive technology, making Kenya the first country to receive catalytic investment from ATscale. ATscale will fund the Government-owned joint investment of US$7.5 million spread over three years, from 2023 to 2025. Part of the most pressing assistive technology needs and interventions targeted are in hearing and communication. This collaboration seeks to have: 1. Pre-service and in-service training of healthcare workers in sign language. 2. Provision of hearing-assistive and captioning devices in health facilities to enhance communication with people with hearing impairment. 3. The establishment of the first regional assistive technology centre of excellence in collaboration with the WHO. 4. Strengthening of the supply chain of assistive technology and local production of the same. In the second part of the Question, the National Strategic Plan for Ear and Hearing Care (2023-2028) focuses on enhancing capacity building and training of healthcare workers to deliver ear and hearing care over the next five years as one of its objectives, including sign language. Upon graduation, the Ministry of Health will deploy these healthcare workers to public health facilities. The integration of sign language into the curriculum in all institutions offering health sciences is vital in helping build a proficient workforce in communicating with and serving the deaf and hard of hearing individuals. There are four speech and language pathologists in the public sector and six in training. The Ministry has prioritised training of more healthcare workers in sign language and numbers will improve in the coming years. The electronic version of the Official Hansard Report is for information purposesonly. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor."
}