Kenya, March 5 -- Nairobi has dropped to fourth place in the Numbeo Health Index 2025, which looks at how good healthcare is in different places. This ranking is based on factors like the skills of doctors, the tools available, how well services are provided, and how happy patients are.
Nairobi's score improved slightly to 62.8, but it was passed by Pretoria, South Africa, which moved up to third place with a score of 66.5.
Cape Town is still in first place with a score of 68.8, and Windhoek, Namibia, is in second place with 67.4 points.
The report says Nairobi's lower rank is due to not having enough money for healthcare, slow service, and high costs.
Some strengths of Nairobi's health system include having modern medical equipment, good access to healthcare facilities, and skilled staff.
Diagnostic technology scored 67.12 percent, and medical expertise scored 63.16 percent.
However, problems like long waiting times for tests and issues with hospital management have lowered Nairobi's score, with service responsiveness rated at only 51.03 percent.
Affording healthcare is still a big problem, with a satisfaction rate of 56.16 percent.
This shows that people are worried about high treatment costs, expensive private hospital fees, and issues with the new Social Health Authority (SHA).
The change from the National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF) to the SHA has created confusion, with delays in payments and unclear coverage, making it harder for people to access good care.
In other areas of Kenya, the healthcare system is not balanced. Rural regions face challenges because they have fewer hospitals, specialists, and medical supplies.
Frequent strikes at public hospitals and delays in funding for Universal Health Coverage also create problems in providing healthcare services.
Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Bana Kenya.