Campaign Website Launched

We are please to announce the launch of www.stopstockouts.org the official website of the Stop The Stock-outs campaign.

www.stopstockouts.org is a valuable resource in our campaign to fight for essential medicines for all. www.stopstockouts.org will carry regular features and updates on the Stop The Stock-outs campaign; will keep you informed on campaign events; feature case studies from members of our community; host regular discussions on issues surrounding the campaign for essential medicines for all; hold a resource centre where you can download campaign material for your own activities; carry pictures from campaign events and much more.

Visit www.stopstickouts.org, bookmark the website and subscribe to our RSS feeds to ensure you keep up to date with the campaign.

Winnie Akinyi

A mother of three and living on a monthly allowance earned from voluntary work in Nairobi, 28-year-old Winnie Akinyi’s monthly income was not enough to enable her to make an outright payment for treatment. This was not an uncommon problem for Akinyi or those living within her neighbourhood.

That is why, in early 2007, she had to leave her TV set at the local health clinic as security for treatment received on credit. This unique system was set up by a non-profit organization to enable residents in low income communities such as Kibera, to access treatment when they did not have ready cash.

Winnie’s story:

Before, some clinics used to give out medicines without demanding instant payment as long as one surrendered his or her ID3 and returned later to pay their bills in full and reclaim their ID. However, after a while the clinic administrators realised that some patients did not honour their pledges; they would abandon their IDs at the clinic and apply for new ones, just to avoid paying the bills.

These clinics still offer treatment, but now, if we don’t have money, we hand over a household item, such as a chair or any other personal property, as security until we pay off the outstanding amount. This is a good arrangement because it allows us to pay for medicines in manageable instalments.

I have personally benefited from this credit system. Not so long ago, I had to part with my television set for two months until I raised enough money to pay for the medicines that I was given at a clinic. My bill was KSh 600, which I could not raise immediately. So I took my TV set to the clinic in order to get the medicines. I repaid the money two monthly instalments and got my TV set back.

Submitted by HAI Africa from the publication: “The costly access to essential medicines in Kenya: Voices of consumers on affordability and availability” published March 2009.

Daniel Makau

By the end of 2007, Daniel Makau, a water vendor and shopkeeper aged 44 years, had lived in Kibera for 26 years. He earned a modest income running a kiosk business. This, together with some irregular earnings from his shamba upcountry, and contribution from his wife’s earnings formed the total household income to support a family of more than four children. As a longstanding resident of Kibera, Daniel has taken part in many local initiatives aimed at improving the lives of Kibera residents and had many stories to tell about availability and affordability of medicines in the area.

In Kibera, people die in their houses because they don’t have money to visit a doctor, or to buy medicine. More times than I can count, we have found some people dead in their homes because they fell ill and couldn’t raise enough money to buy medicines that would have perhaps saved them.

Kibera has so many stories… there are fake medicines here too. There are times when I have sent for medicine and I have been brought medicines that have no effect.

Generally, medicines are expensive in private chemists, but there are NGOs that have set chemist shops that sell medicines at lower prices. However, the problem is that some of these chemists are run by people who are not qualified. So, although some NGOs have been useful in making drugs affordable in this area, it is important that they are vetted to establish which ones are genuine and to ensure that they are supplying quality medicine.

The environment here is quite pathetic. The drainage system is poor, many households don’t have running water, and there are masses of uncollected garbage. This is not conducive at all. If the drainage system was improved, running water supplied and the garbage collected, and the environment we live was made cleaner, I believe the cases of illnesses would reduce, thereby reducing the need for medicines.

We need help. Whoever is willing to help us is welcome to come. I only hope that it is not one of those briefcase organizations that are only interested in benefiting themselves and not the community.

Submitted by HAI Africa from the publication: “The costly access to essential medicines in Kenya: Voices of consumers on affordability and availability” published March 2009.

Habiba Mohamed

When she told her story, Habiba Mohamed was aged 30 years, had two children, and resided in Kibera, Nairobi. As environmental activist, her work involved promoting a technique that used solar energy to disinfect water and prevent waterborne diseases. This workearned her a small allowance which she depended on as her main income. When Habiba fell ill some time in 2007 and was required to buy medicine worth KSh 4,000, the cost was beyond what she could afford from her small earnings.

I fell ill in mid-2007 and the doctor the government clinic diagnosed amoebiosis. He prescribed some medicines, which I was given. I took the medicine as advised but didn’t get cured. So I decided to go to a private clinic for a second opinion.

At the private clinic, they did some [laboratory] tests and then told me that I had typhoid. The doctor gave me a prescription to take to the pharmacy within the clinic. When I took it there, I was told that the prescribed medicines would cost KSh 4,000. I protested and told them that I couldn’t afford to pay that much. So they gave me back the prescription and I left without buying the medicines.

I went to look for a cheaper chemist downtown, and I eventually found one selling the same medicines at KSh 1,800. But even at this lower price, I still could not afford to buy all the medicines at once. It took me about three weeks to pay for the full course of treatment because I had to buy the medicines in small quantities. I would buy a few tablets worth about KSh200 or so at a time, depending on the amount of money I could raise, until I finally completed the course.

Submitted by HAI Africa from the publication: “The costly access to essential medicines in Kenya: Voices of consumers on affordability and availability” published March 2009.