Management of Health Products and Technologies in Kenya: A Multi-County Study on access to Quality, Affordable Health Products and Technologies

Abstract

Health Products and Technologies (HPTs) are a cornerstone of Kenya’s health system and essential for achieving universal health coverage by ensuring access to high-quality medical services with minimal financial burden. Effective management of HPTs is critical for maintaining availability, affordability, and quality of healthcare services. Despite ongoing efforts, challenges such as delays in supply, inadequate stocks of essential medicines and laboratory commodities, wastage of health products, long lead times, poor stock monitoring, and irrational use due to inadequate storage and training persist across counties. This multi-county comparative study examined institutional determinants influencing the management of HPTs in Kisumu, Kiambu, Nyeri, Machakos, and Isiolo counties. The study focused on five independent variables, health financing, supply chain practices, inventory optimization, human resource factors, and health information management, with institutional leadership culture included as a moderating variable, while the dependent variable management of HPTs, was assessed through the dimensions of availability, affordability, and quality. Anchored on the Utilization Management Theory and Goldratt’s Theory of Constraints, and guided by the pragmatism paradigm, the study adopted a mixed-methods design that combined quantitative data from 106 respondents using census sampling and qualitative insights from ten key informants via interview guides. Research instruments were pre-tested to enhance validity and reliability, while quantitative data were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics and qualitative data analyzed thematically, with diagnostic tests ensuring assumptions of normality, homoscedasticity, autocorrelation, multicollinearity, and singularity were not violated. Findings revealed that HPT financing (P=008), inventory optimization (P=0.000), human resource factors (P=0.002), and health management information systems (P=0.022) had statistically significant positive effects on HPT management, whereas supply chain practice (P=0.546) and institutional leadership (P=0.762) culture demonstrated weak or no significant influence Based on these results, the study proposes an efficient management model integrating lean inventory practices and digitalization to enhance the availability, affordability, and quality of HPTs. The findings provide evidence-based recommendations for county health administrations and policymakers and establish a foundation for future academic, scholarly, and research endeavors in the management of health products and technologies in Kenya.