A document submitted to the National Assembly has revealed an “alarming shortfall” in the budget for key government programs aimed at strengthening the country’s health sector. Some areas to be affected, according to senior health officials, include procurement for HIV/AIDS services and family planning and immunization programs.
With HIV/AIDS program already reeling from U.S. funding cuts, analysts said a reduction in government spending in the sector will affect critical services to thousands of people living with the disease in the country.
The flagship national insurance scheme, enacted in 2023, will also be hit hard by the budget shortfall.
Nairobi — The rollout of the Social Health Insurance Fund (SHIF), procurement of essential HIV and family planning commodities, and payment for Community Health Promoter (CHP) kits risk stalling following a Sh161 billion budget cut in the Ministry of Health’s 2025/2026 allocation.
Key government programmes aimed at strengthening the country’s health system, including vaccine production, the Managed Equipment Services programme, and operations of semi-autonomous government agencies (SAGAs), are also facing significant funding gaps, threatening to paralyze service delivery.
The alarming shortfall was revealed in budget documents tabled before the National Assembly’s Departmental Committee on Health by Medical Services Principal Secretary Dr. Ouma Oluga.
The documents show that the Ministry of Health had requested Sh426.8 billion,Sh350.6 billion for recurrent expenditure and Sh76.2 billion for development but was only allocated Sh105.4 billion.
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