Duale calls for stronger domestic health financing in Africa
Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale has called on African countries to strengthen domestic financing for healthcare to accelerate Universal Health Coverage and reduce the cost burden on households. Duale said sustainable financing, supported by technology and strong political leadership, is needed to ensure people can access healthcare without being pushed into financial hardship. He spoke […]…
Kenya's Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale has urged African nations to bolster domestic health financing to hasten Universal Health Coverage and lessen the financial strain on families. Duale emphasized the importance of sustainable financing, bolstered by modern technology and robust political commitment, to guarantee that individuals can receive medical care without succumbing to financial ruin.
He addressed this during a high-level ministerial dialogue on health financing at the 76th session of the World Health Organization's Regional Committee for Africa. The meeting convened African health ministers to explore sustainable health financing strategies and speed up Universal Health Coverage across the continent.
Duale showcased Kenya's health financing reforms, notably the shift from the National Hospital Insurance Fund (NHIF) to the Social Health Account (SHA). Under the old system, health insurance only covered around a quarter of the population, leaving many households to bear the full cost of medical treatment, which amounted to approximately 1.2 billion US dollars annually.
Post-reform, SHA has registered over 32.3 million people, accounting for roughly 55 percent of Kenya's population. The Kenyan Government has also pledged more than 210 million US dollars for primary healthcare services at community and facility levels. This investment has facilitated over 20 million outpatient visits involving 15 million individuals, more than 1.2 million safe deliveries, and approximately 500,000 surgical procedures.
The Emergency, Chronic and Critical Illness Fund has provided support to over 50,000 cancer patients and nearly 21,000 dialysis patients.
Duale highlighted that digitization is enhancing transparency and efficiency, with over 95 percent of Kenya's healthcare facilities now digitized. Out of the 6,727 health facilities, 6,424 are digitally integrated. Through this digitization, Kenya has achieved substantial progress in improving the accessibility, efficiency, and transparency of its healthcare services.
Written by urgent.news from KBC's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
