Kenya’s Big Four agenda has universal health coverage as one of its main pillars. UHC means ensuring everyone, everywhere can access essential quality health services without facing financial hardships.
Health financing is a critical enabler for the attainment of UHC. Kenya has ratified the Abuja Declaration, which was passed in April 2001 when Heads of State of African Union countries met and pledged to set a target of allocating at least 15 per cent of their annual budget to improve the health sector.
Statistics from the Kenya National Health Accounts over the past five years however indicate that government health spending as a proportion of total government expenditure lies around six to eight per cent.
As UHC is part of the government’s Big Four agenda, a significant increase in public financing towards this noble agenda is called for. The country should however also tap into other sources of domestic financing to optimise the existing resources and bridge critical gaps to support the country's ambition to realise UHC
As Kenya climbs up the middle-income ladder, support from traditional development partners is shrinking. More resources need to be mobilised through new partnerships with the private sector, philanthropy, civil society, faith-based organisations and other key stakeholders.
In the meantime, and just as mobile payments have transformed Kenyan markets, tech innovations in the health sector have the potential to help strengthen the efficiency, effectiveness and accountability of the health sector. This, in turn, would encourage new financing for the sector to further contribute to improved health status and quality of life in the country.
Opportunities therefore for innovative and result-based financing (such as social impact bonds, debt swaps, private sector/retail mechanisms such as UNITAID and product RED, credit enhancement mechanisms such as Pledge Guarantee Health, advance market commitments, or awards and prize schemes to enhance performance) need to be pursued.
The path towards UHC might be long and potentially challenging. But with clearer measurements, more strategic integration between public and private providers and strong leadership from government, we might be able to make the UHC journey a little more faster and smoother.
Government needs to work on tax review collection to support the UHC mission without taxing health commodities from donors and well-wishers who are willing to drive the UHC agenda and increase advocacy to certainly a question of increasing equity and developing more inclusive societies as it allows for the progressive expansion of services.
Executive director, Epic Youth Organisation
