Stakeholder Forum Discusses Key Bills Supporting Universal Health Coverage in Kenya

Nairobi, Kenya - 4 September 2023 - Today, Mr. Harry Kimtai, the Principal Secretary of the State Department for Medical Services, convened a stakeholder forum with CEOs and senior officials from the Ministry of Health. The purpose of this meeting was to deliberate on a set of bills crucial for supporting Universal Health Coverage (UHC), a cornerstone of the Bottom-Up Economic Transformation Agenda (BETA).

 

The bills discussed during the session are as follows:

 • Social Health Insurance Bill, 2023
• Digital Health Bill, 2023 

• Primary Healthcare Bill, 2023 

• Facility Improvement Financing Bill, 2023 

 

 These bills constitute a vital component of a broader strategy aimed at advancing UHC. The strategy encompasses multiple interventions, including: 

 

 1. Establishing a comprehensively funded primary healthcare system, encompassing promotive, preventive, curative, palliative, and rehabilitative services.

 2. Integration of ICT systems to bolster telemedicine and enhance health management information systems. 

3. Ring-fencing healthcare funds, ensuring the allocation from the National Treasury in collaboration with county governments.

 4. Creation of an emergency, critical, and chronic illness fund to address such health challenges. 

5. Provision of Social Health Insurance Fund coverage for all Kenyans, aligning with the principle of "Leaving No One Behind."