How to increase life expectancy in Kenya

In this day and age Kenya has come to be one of the more better known countries in East Africa. Even though Kenya is known for its vast wildlife and scenic landscapes, Kenya still faces many problems. However here are some simple solutions to not only raise life expectancy but make Kenya a better place for everyone in general.

With a population of 51.3 million Kenya currently has a life expectancy of 66.7 (66.4 for male and 66.7 for female) this leaves Kenya with a world life expectancy ranking of 132 (www.worldlifeexpectancy.com).A big problem in Kenya is their lack of representation for women and extreme inequality. In an article written in 2020 by www.USAID.gov it shows how women are underrepresented, have reduced access to education, land and employment. Even now women are still made made to carry wood and water in the heat, face gender-based violence, harmful cultural attitude and beliefs; these are big issues. With only 1 in 15 girls enrolled at primary schools many girls and boys are not taught that girls are just as important as boys. With poverty being a main issue in Kenya it is proven by www.USAID.gov that by letting women have access to market resources and productive activities, whilst getting paid will boost Kenya’s economy meaning poverty could become less of an issue. A suggested way to help inequality is by getting volunteers and empowered women to talk to young girls and boys in the community about the importance of women. This not only informs them but helps them understand at a young age,cdecreasing the amount of cultural sexism. With more woman feeling like they have worth,cnot only will this boost life expectancy but boost moral. Countries like Sweden, who have laws against sexism or any gender-based violence, never rank lower than 4th in the global gender pay gap (www.swedensevenidge.com). Sweden,also happens to be the happiest country in the world. They also have a life expectancy of 83.3,ranking 13th in the world for life expectancy. In a research done by UCLA it is proven that in countries with gender equality, both men and women live longer. Not only this but there will be 100,000 less deaths due to live births. Just by informing people about the issues Kenyan women face you could raise money to rehabilitate mistreated women and advertise posters and leaflets for everyone in the country (these could even be home-made).We could also create petitions for the national government to make gender based-violence and any form of sexism illegal and allow any gender to be eligible for any job of their choice.

Another big problem Kenya faces is lack of healthcare. According to an article by www.DHSprogram.com over 70% of Kenyans rely on local treatment and volunteers. With very few doctors in Kenya, Kenya’s healthcare system is placed into three categories: public, private and faith based. With lack of affordable healthcare in rural areas many children and adults are denied basic healthcare. Disease is mostly spread by poor sanitation. This problem could be helped by sending in volunteers or employing Kenyan people (women who are denied jobs) help keep Kenya clean. Much like charities like Water Aid, who give clean water to poor communities, other HIC countries could be asked to make small donations for cleaning products. Not only this but we could get schools in places like England, Germany and the USA help make medical packs with basic antibiotics and bandages for emergencies.71% of Kenyans die due to no access to medical care(www.unicef.org).Not only could we send packs but medical students could be trained and take annual trips to rural areas in Kenya. This will not only help people get medical attention from qualified people but the medical volunteers could teach families how to care for themselves or children in a medical emergency. According to www.healthsystemtracker.org public healthcare is mostly used by people over 55. Kenya has a life expectancy of 66.7 if more elderly people had access to healthcare this could increase their chances of living longer. Places like England who are fortunate enough to have free healthcare have a life expectancy of 81.16. It is proven that places with good health care increase life expectancy by at least 6 years. In turn increasing life expectancy in Kenya.

In conclusion by starting off with small, simple solutions, it will help tackle major problems overtime to make Kenya a better, safer place. Just the two things i have mentioned could increase life expectancy massively and improve lives overall for the better, helping people live not only longer but happier lives.