Disease

In the absence of Britain, Kenya was (and still is, to a degree) weak, unstable and forced to resort to its own resources.  Throughout their post-independence era, Kenyans were forced to face several major obstacles, some uncontrollable.  Perhaps the most significant of these problems is the presence of disease. 

In 1997, a vicious cholera outbreak occurred in Kenya.  The poor slums of Nairobi provided the optimal conditions for cholera to spread, and the situation was worsened due to the fact that a “nurse’s strike over low wages…brought many government hospitals to a standstill.”[1]  In the citizens’ hysteria, the outbreak also precipitated political criticism: as an election neared during the crisis, the general population blamed the government for not properly dealing with the epidemic. 

Adult HIV prevalence around the world (2011): World Health Organization

Today, the life expectancy for women is approximately 55 years, and 53 years for men.  An estimated 70%-80% of all health issues in Kenya are a result of waterborne diseases.  However, roughly 700 Kenyans die from HIV or AIDS (or related causes) every day, and only about 2% of HIV funding is domestic.  6.3% of Kenyans aged 15-49 have HIV.  However, “immunization coverage…rose from 75% in 2003 to 81% in 2008”, providing an inkling of optimism and an implication that perhaps the presence of controllable disease in Kenya will decrease in the future.[2]

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[1] Bond, Catherine (and Reuters).  “Relief workers battle cholera outbreak in East Africa.”  CNN interactive (CNN.com).  December 18, 1997.  Cable News Network, Inc.  <http://www.cnn.com/WORLD/9712/18/kenya.cholera/>.  Accessed May 11, 2013.

[2] “Kenya Overview.”