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{
    "id": 1521014,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1521014/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 294,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "The Cabinet Secretary for Health",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": null,
    "content": "(Hon. (Dr.) Deborah Barasa): Thank you, Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir and hon. Members. For mental health among the youth in the nation, we have developed guidelines, strategies and action plans to ensure that it is addressed not only for them, but also the entire population. As I said earlier, we have the national guidelines on workplace mental wellness. We are also working on integration of mental health into primary care, through utilizing our medical interns and other healthcare professionals in order to identify mental illness earlier, institute interventions and improve referral mechanisms. Equally, we have clinical guidelines for mental disorders. They can be implemented at the county level. We have oversight on mental health illnesses. It is something that we are working on. We hope to collaborate and ensure there is implementation at the county level. Regarding the water, sanitation and hygiene component, we are working together as the Ministry, the county and stakeholders to ensure that our health facilities, including our primary healthcare facilities, have the wash component addressed. We have guidelines and monitoring assessment for healthcare facilities, which are conducted to ensure that water, sanitation and hygiene is up to capacity in order to avoid spread of infections. Kala-azar is a neglected tropical disease caused by leishmania parasite. Marsabit County has reported 19 cases since 2025. We are sensitising the communities on Kala- azar disease and its other forms. We also have case management focal points at Marsabit County Referral Hospital in order to treat and also improve surveillance and continuous detection of the disease, so that we can control it whenever there is a concern. Regarding vector control, this is another area we are looking into as well as capacity building of healthcare workers on matters detection and management of Kala- azar. We also have medicine available for treatment of the condition and implementation is ongoing. As we said earlier in the committee, we will share a comprehensive report, which will also incorporate various benefit packages as well as the improvement that has been done regarding the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) among others. For mental health and substance abuse rehabilitation, we are happy to report that SHA actually covers this unlike NHIF. We are seeing many Kenyans taking up the services. If given time, we will have a comprehensive report on that as well. I submit."
}