DISASTER RISK MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES AND COVID-19: A CASE OF HEALTH CENTERS UNDER THE CITY COUNTY GOVERNMENT, NAIROBI, KENYA

Abstract

Since the first case of COVID-19 infection was reported in Kenya, the government and its public health care service delivery system operationalised various strategies to prevent its spread including knowledge dissemination, imparting skills, promoting various practices and encouraging the public to evolve new health perceptions under the pretext of disaster risk management perspectives. Public hospitals and their management team, especially health centres being the point of service delivery at the grassroots level were key players in this process amidst various challenges as they combined to combat ordinary health care with pandemic service deliveries. In this background, this research aimed to explore disaster risk management strategies adopted to combat COVID- 19 in health centres under the city-county government, Nairobi, Kenya. Further, this study was guided by the specific objectives: examine knowledge dissemination efforts to combat the COVID-19 pandemic in health centers as part of DRM strategies under the city-county government, Nairobi, Kenya; determine skills provided to combat COVID-19 pandemic in health centres as part of DRM strategies under the city-county government, Nairobi, Kenya; analyse the practices promoted to combat COVID-19 pandemic in health centers as part of DRM strategies under the city-county government, Nairobi, Kenya; determine pandemic perceptions promoted to combat COVID-19 pandemic in health centers as part of DRM strategies under the city county government, Nairobi, Kenya. The study adopted mixed method approach using an explanatory sequential research design. The study was conducted in 78 health centers under the city-county government, Nairobi, Kenya and the target population was 234 health managers in hospitals under the city-county government. To collect quantitative data, the researcher adopted probability sampling method, and for qualitative data, the researcher used non-probability sampling. The study sample size was 148 health managers of health centers. Quantitative data was collected using the questionnaire. Qualitative data was collected by using in-depth interviews. The study findings establishes that COVID-19 knowledge, skills, practices and perceptions had a positive and significant association with combating COVID-19 in hospitals. The study recommends that health organisations may focus more on disseminating COVID-19 knowledge. Special attention needs to shift to training health workers on how to deal with the COVID-19 pandemic. The health organisations shall ensure that COVID-19 practices are implemented systematically among the public to have a better understanding of the perceptions of people regarding COVID-19.

Key words: Disaster Risk Management Strategies, Covid-19