Access to Primary Healthcare Services and Associated Factors in Urban Slums in Nairobi-Kenya.

Peter Otieno, African Population and Health Research Center (APHRC)
Shukri Mohamed, African Population and Health Research Center (APHRC)
Martin K. Mutua, African Population and Health Research Center (APHRC)
Elvis Omondi Achach Wambiya, African Population and Health Research Center (APHRC)
Hermann Donfouet, Université de Rennes I
Peter Kibe , African Population and Health Research Center (APHRC)

Background: Knowledge of access to primary healthcare is crucial for the delivery of universal health coverage. We assessed the level of access to primary healthcare and associated factors in urban slums in Nairobi-Kenya. Methods: The data were drawn from the Lown scholars study of 300 randomly selected households in Viwandani slums (Nairobi, Kenya). Access index was constructed using principle component analysis and recoded into tertiles with categories labeled as poor, moderate and highest. Data were analyzed using ordered logistic regression, p<0.05 and 95% confident intervals. Results: Being in the lowest access tertile was significantly associated with living in a female-headed household, seeking care from a public health facility and spending =30 USD on healthcare from out of pocket quarterly. Conclusion: Our study shows inequity in access to primary care among households in urban slum in Nairobi, Kenya. A full spectrum of accessible quality primary healthcare services is clearly imperative.