17th January 2023, Nairobi, Kenya Jubilee Health Insurance has partnered with Chiromo Hospital Group to launch a mental wellness program that will promote mental health and wellness journey among existing customers and non-customers.
The mental wellness program will take a comprehensive preventative and curative approach to mental wellness. Product users will have access to Digital Mental Assessment (psychometrics) and mental wellness coaching sessions including chronic disease management, professional counselling, and life coaching sessions.
The World Health Organization estimates that one in four people worldwide will be affected by a mental health disorder at some point in their lives. 350 million people worldwide suffer from depression with close to a million people dying every year because of depression. Closer home, one in every four people in Kenya who visit healthcare
facilities has a mental health condition. This means 11.5 million Kenyans suffer from
mental health conditions.
While speaking during the launch, Jubilee Health Insurance CEO Njeri Jomo noted that mental health is an issue of growing concern that must be jointly addressed by all heath
stakeholders.
“In spite of the advocacy effort that has been put in the recent years to address mental health issues, there is still a lot to be done to address mental health issues and to reverse the impact of this condition on individuals, families, and the nation at large. Our partnership with Chiromo Hospital Group is driven by our shared purpose to offer
practical and accessible solutions that enable individuals to prevent, treat and manage
mental health conditions,” said Njeri.
The mental health cover is targeting both existing Jubilee Health customers and non-customers. This cover will be a value addition to existing customer’s medical policies allowing them to access mental health services from Chiromo Hospital Group.
Under this partnership, Jubilee Health Insurance has also designed three packages that will enable non-customers to receive mental health services. The annual cost will range between KES 5,000 to KES 39,000.
The mental health program will cover mental wellness coaching with a professional therapist, counselling, and life coaching session on topical issues. Some of the issues which will be addressed during the wellness sessions include anxiety, depression, addictions, and positive thinking.
Although treatment to mental health has increasingly become available, there is still huge disparity in access and affordability. Majority of the people in Kenya make out-of-pocket payments for their healthcare. The high cost of accessing healthcare, particularly for mental illnesses, hinders many from accessing professional help.
While commenting about the partnership, Chiromo Hospital Group Founder Dr. Frank Njenga noted that health players must urgently deploy intervention measures to ensure timely prevention and management of mental illnesses.
