Kenya has stepped up efforts geared towards the attainment of universal health coverage in the country, Deputy President William Ruto has said.
Ruto said the ongoing expansion and strengthening of essential health services at the county hospitals were part of the government's efforts to transforming the health sector.
"To demonstrate this commitment, the ongoing implementation our devolved system of governance combined with enhanced priority for health within our budget, has resulted in an increase of budgetary allocation to health by 55 per cent," he said.
The DP spoke during the closure of Universal Health Coverage in Africa forum held at the Kenyatta International Convention Centre (KICC) on Sunday.
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, World Bank Group President Jim Yong Kim, WHO director Margaret Chan, Health CS Cleopa Mailu among others were present.
Ruto said the government’s move to increase spending in the health sector was aimed at improving service delivery systems for primary, secondary and tertiary healthcare.
"Such investments continue to yield visible results including improved availability of quality healthcare services, enhanced equity in accessing and utilizing primary and specialized medical care, and affordability of services," he said.
For his part, Abe said Japan will continue to provide technical and financial support to help the country achieve its development targets.
He said Japan has experience in pandemic response and will assist Kenya on how to address such situations.
"My country will continue to help Kenya in attaining a universal health coverage. Japan is committed to a healthier and resilient Africa," he said.
Ruto said the Government in partnership in with the World Bank and the Japanese government, was providing health insurance subsidies through our National Hospital Insurance Fund (NHIF) to 20,000 households in the lowest income group.
He said plans were at an advanced stage to increase this number to more than 160,000 households over the next two years in a bid to increasing number of Kenyans are able to access quality health services.
"Despite this notable progress towards Universal Health Coverage, it is not lost to us that still more needs to be done. We are determined to mobilize additional domestic resources to realize the target of at least 15 percent of Government spending on health," he said.
"The Government remains committed to the progressive realization of Universal Health overage that will contribute to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals, pursuing an increased public investment for health from the current 2.5 percent to five percent of the Gross Domestic Product by 2030," DP Ruto said.
He added that an additional budgetary allocation of USD 50 million annually to fund primary health care, including maternal care resulted in the removal of user fees.
"This is associated with a doubling of the number of mothers delivering with expert practitioners in health facilities," Ruto said.
"This translates to an overall increase in the proportion of mothers accessing skilled assistance during delivery from 44 percent in 2012 to more than 70 percent at the moment," he said.
The deputy president further noted that the country was funding health programmes that address the emerging burden of communicable and non-communicable diseases.
Ruto said the Government has increased investments for HIV/AIDS control in partnership with donors is now averting close to 400,000 deaths among persons living with the disease.
He said the Government was also implementing a USD 400 million programme aimed at providing modern equipment in more than a third of the 295 public hospitals across the country.
The deputy president said the move is aimed at containing non-communicable diseases.
"Through this programme, public hospitals in rural settings now have the capacity to provide modern specialized diagnostic services and treatment for major non-communicable diseases including cancers, chronic renal diseases and heart diseases," the DP said.