Health CS Sicily Kariuki delivering a keynote address during the Kenya National Chambers of Commerce and Industry (KNCCI), Luncheon on UHC.
The the Cabinet Secretary (CS) of Health, Sicily Kariuki has called on the private sector to support Universal Health Coverage (UHC) by investing in Primary Health Care, manufacturing of commodities, health insurance, innovative health financing mechanisms and capacity building of technical human resources for health.
The CS urged them to take a proactive role in the uptake, involvement and alignment of businesses to bolster growth in the health sector besides leveraging on technology to increase efficiency and resource mobilization.
She made this while addressing the Kenya National Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KNCCI) Luncheon on UHC, that brought together business leaders to explore opportunities that can drive private sector participation in the country’s Big Four Agenda.
The CS said the Government recognizes the need to continually expand partnerships especially engaging private sector resources and values as key to spurring attainment of the country’s goals for socio-economic development.
“UHC is the greatest gift a country can give to its people. We all have a responsibility to make it a success. Accept our assurance of the Ministry of Health’s support towards this great endeavor, “she remarked.
She revealed that the Government is enhancing multi-stakeholder and cross-sectoral collaborative partnerships to UHC and is committed to implementing health system reforms to accelerate movement towards UHC as a means of realizing the “Right to Health” as enshrined in the Constitution of Kenya.
She revealed that the Government approach towards UHC is centered on three critical components which focus on expanding health insurance coverage by scaling up health insurance registration, strengthening Primary Health care (PHC) by increasing Human Resources for Health, ensuring adequate commodity supply and the digitization of health service delivery and supply chain systems.
“We aim at increasing the population covered from 36% in 2017 to 100% by 2022, the CS said and added that the Government has increased the health sector budget from KShs 69B to KShs 89B in this financial year and will develop sustainable financing models for health.”