Some Sh500 million will be set aside for awareness of blood disorders in the country.
They include sickle cell and haemophilia, an inherited bleeding disorder in which the blood does not clot properly.
The amount is expected to support the Kenya Haemophilia Association in their operations as the various stakeholders try to reach more people who might otherwise be unaware of the conditions.
“That money will be specifically for awareness creation so that we can have an office that is up and running. An office that is not only of volunteers, so that they can enlighten people who are not aware,” KHA patron David Sankok said.
He said they cannot create awareness if they are not facilitated.
“We decided that the allocation from the government will be only for operations and then we take NHIF to cover treatment of all those who are suffering from haemophilia and other blood disorders,” Sankok said.
Counties especially in the Western and Nyanza regions have a high prevalence of sickle cell anaemia but there is low knowledge of the condition among residents.
A study conducted jointly by the World Health Organization and Masinde Muliro University shows the two regions account for up to 30 per cent of sickle cell anaemia cases in the country per year.
During the study, she said, it was found that children with the disease die before reaching the age of five and it is mistaken for malaria or being bewitched.
Dr Kibet Shikuku, a lecturer at the University of Nairobi and the chairperson of the KHA says bleeding is not an equivalent of having haemophilia, but haemophilia is just one of the bleeding disorders.
“In Kenya haemophilia affects more men than women because it is brought by the X-chromosome,” he said.
Data shows that 14,000 children are born with sickle cell in Kenya every year, while there are 5,000 people living with haemophilia.
