Health stakeholders call for urgent action on low budget allocation to the sector

In a National High-Level Dialogue on Friday organized by the African Institute for Development Policy (AFIDEP), stakeholders noted that there are often other overriding considerations such as political campaign pledges regarding resource allocation, which hinder adequate funding to the sector. 

“Data and evidence are critical components that should inform how the health sector is resourced,” argued Dr. Rose Oronje, AFIDEP’s Director of Public Policy and Knowledge Translation. 

Kenya’s Health Ministry received an allocation of Sh141.2 billion in the 2023/2024 budget, 11% of the total annual budget, which is down from Ksh. 146.8 billion in the 2022/23 financial year.

AFIDEP elaborates that the inadequate funding by the national government is attributed to the inadequate use of data provided by the health sector.

Oronje insists that the use of evidence-based data is still a major problem in the country and the lack of effort by state officials to make the data available results to low finding by the government.

“Even as we ask for more money, we really don’t have the data and evidence that can tell us exactly how much more money we need,” Oronje added.

The health stakeholders laid emphasis on the adequate provision of funds on the primary health care because it plays a critical role in improving health outcomes and reducing healthcare costs. Sufficiently funding the primary health care would subsequently reduce the congestions in the level 4 and 5 referral hospitals.

According to the Centre for Disease Control (CDC), 43% of Kenyans are unable to access primary healthcare due to poverty. Many have forgone the need to seek healthcare, putting lives at risk.

Participants at the dialogue reiterated the need to streamline procurement procedures at the Kenya Medical Supplies Authority (KEMSA) to weed out corruption that choke the authority, and enable timely restocking of medical supplies in the hospitals.

The stakeholders also urged for a collaborative framework between the national and county government that would ensure for the availability of affordable health care services to Kenyans.

They also called for a collaborative engagement between private and public sectors that would facilitate the increase of the numbers of Kenyans who benefit from private insurance.