07/02/2025
On The AfyaProds: 07-Just More Than SHA, Here is Kenya's HEALTHCARE SECTOR EVOLUTION.
Exit NHIF, as Social Health Authority sets in place with a different configuration. The health sector in Kenya has undergone significant transformations, marked by a blend of public and private players. Over the past decade, the dynamic health market has shifted from a heavy reliance on external donor resources to a more balanced system. This is driven by rapid technological advancements and the implementation of a robust legal and regulatory framework.
Key milestones include the right to the highest standard of healthcare as enshrined in the Kenyan Constitution of 2010, the Vision 2030 economic development plan, the Kenya Health Policy 2014-2030, and various Medium Term Expenditure Frameworks (MTEF). 2 The State of Kenya’s Health Market - 2024 Assessment report Universal health coverage (UHC) is a stated goal of the Government of Kenya, supported by new policies and high ambitions for its implementation.
Most recently, Kenya has passed four critical acts of parliament that will bolster UHC: the Social Health Authority Act 2024, the Digital Health Act 2024, the Facility Improvement Fund Act 2024, and the Primary Healthcare Act 2024.
These acts aim to address weaknesses in the healthcare system, including inadequate financing, poor availability and flow of data and information, retention of funds in the healthcare system, and the general structure of the healthcare system to allow for efficient coordination and appropriate patient referral. The preexisting regulatory frameworks have significantly improved resource availability for the health sector.
The total government budget allocated to health as a percentage of the national and county budgets increased from 7.8% in FY 2012/2013 to 11.5% in FY 2019/2020. The budgetary allocation of Ksh 216 billion in 2019/2020. Additionally, the political ambitions of increasing local manufacturing of Health Products and Technologies(HPTs) presents a great opportunity to further bolster a robust health market and strengthen the private sector.
Despite the underutilization of the local manufacturing potential, which accounts for 30–60% of the market in terms of value and quantity, the government, through the Ministry of Health, continues to be the biggest purchaser of locally made HPT.
Over the years, Kenya has demonstrated remarkable improvements in its health indicators. The HIV prevalence rate for the country has dropped from 5.6% in 2010 to 3.2% in 2023. The incidence rate has also plummeted from 2.8 in 2010 to 0.44 in 2023 per 1000 adults(UNAIDS, 2023).
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On The AfyaProds are personal expertise views and rich knowledge for informational purposes. Written by Mr. Isaac Ogutu, Bsc. Medical Laboratory Sciences. Expert in Quality Assurance, Health Systems and Lab. Diagnosis.E: isaacogutu66@gmail.com AfyaProds Diagnostic Services
