Abstract
This thesis aimed at gaining an understanding of the nature and problems of public
healthcare information in Kenya and to understand the role of blockchain in addressing
them. Blockchain is generally defined as a distributed database of records or public
ledger of all transactions or digital events that have been executed and shared among
participating parties. Good healthcare on the African continent has always been a
contentious issue that has affected both public and private sectors as well as the lives
of the people. The provision of good healthcare, let alone excellence in the provision
of basic healthcare, lagged far behind that of European countries and some parts of
the United States of America where healthcare had been elevated to superior levels
over many decades. In general, the causes of poor healthcare in Africa and in Kenya
in particular for the purposes of this thesis can be attributed to several factors, including
extreme corruption, fraudulent practices, and lack of appropriate malpractice laws. The
consequences of bad practices, corruption and outdated healthcare systems erode
patients’ rights and lead to extremely high mortality rates, which is, among other
factors, the result of negligence coupled with poor diagnoses and treatment. In short,
it essentially boils down to poor medical health record-keeping.
In order to address the widening gap between the rich and the poor in terms of access
to health services and healthcare, a system had to be adopted and integrated that
would enforce morals and ethics in the medical profession. This meant that there
needed to be freedom in healthcare so that impoverished people would not be
compelled to choose between their physical (and mental) health and their economic
well-being, as had often been the case in the past. With this goal in mind, Kenya’s
government was under a huge obligation to mobile resources and finances to run
public healthcare institutions efficiently. And thus entered blockchain, an electronic
“saviour” that would make all the difference for Kenya and her citizens. This system
had already been implemented with great success in large parts of the world, and
enabled a highly effective way of sharing health information such as insurance data,
the pharmacy supply chain system, electronic health records and computerised health
services.
This thesis states and sets out to prove that blockchain-based technology aids in the
eradication of corrupt practices in the health sector such as theft, bribes, bureaucratic
iv
corruption and misinformation, regulates supply chain- and procurement related
purchases including pharmaceuticals, medicine distribution, services provisions by
medical personnel and other health workers, provides quality regulation in services,
facilities and product, for example, interaction between patients and health
professionals, taxpayers and hospitals, and hospitals and suppliers. Relatively soon
after Kenya started utilising blockchain in its healthcare system, great strides have
been made in uplifting the country’s health services, but also in providing citizens with
healthcare, procedures, and medicine that they can trust from a source that they can
trust. Merely years after Kenya started delivering quality healthcare services largely
attributed to blockchain, the country made an extraordinary breakthrough in blockchain
technology in July of this year. Kenyan-based AfyaRekod, the first-ever blockchainbased
healthcare solution, launched a fully automated Universal Patient Portal (UPP).
This is a block-chain driven technology that will transform the face of patient care
across Africa and the world at large, as reported by the influential website
Africacheck.org. This is a feather on the cap of Kenya and its government, as the
government has been completely invested in maintaining the excellence it has
established in healthcare provision. In conclusion, not only has Kenya shown what
commitment and forward thinking for bringing about change in the healthcare sector
through the use of blockchain technology. Kenya seems now to be one of the few
countries in Africa that has excelled in harnessing the miraculous power of blockchain
technology – there and in the world. The future seems bright indeed.
Key Terms: Blockchain, counterfeit drugs, electronic health records, insurance
fraud, medical billing and public healthcare.