Since independence, the Kenya Government has given high priority to the improvement of the health status of Kenyans. This is in recognition that good health is a prerequisite to socioeconomic development of the country. The Government, in a number of policy documents and successive National Development Plans, has emphasized that the provision of health services should meet the basic needs of the population and be geared towards providing health services within easy reach of Kenyans. It has also put considerable emphasis on preventive, promotive, and rehabilitative health services without ignoring curative services (www.enable.nu/publication).