𝗦𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗮𝘆, 𝗙𝗲𝗯𝗿𝘂𝗮𝗿𝘆 𝟮𝟱, 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟰

 The National Assembly Departmental Committee on Health concluded discussions with officials from the Ministry of Health regarding the proposed Budget Policy Statement for 2024 and the medium-term outlook for the Health Sector.

 The Ministry was led by the Cabinet Secretary, Ms. Susan Nakhumicha, alongside Principal Secretaries; Dr. Harry Kimutai (Medical Services), Ms Mary Muthoni (Public Health and Professional Standards), and heads of Semi-autonomous government agencies (SAGAS).

 Led by the chairperson Hon. (Dr.) Robert Pukose (Endebbes), the Committee evaluated various policies and priorities proposed by the Government for implementation within the sector. The proposed resource allocation for the State Department for Medical Services and the State Department for Public Health and Professional Standards for the upcoming Medium-Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF) period, is aimed at bolstering the aforementioned policies.

 The 2024 Budget Policy Statement seeks to address challenges hindering access to quality healthcare through NHIF reforms (Social Health Insurance reforms) and revitalizing primary healthcare as a model for delivering Universal Health Coverage (UHC).

 Furthermore, it aims to increase the allocation to the health sector from Kshs.138 billion in the 2023/24 Financial Year to Kshs.147 billion in the 2024/25 Financial Year.

“One of the biggest challenges is still the persistent high cost of healthcare experienced by households which is majorly driven by the high cost of pharmaceutical products. Notably, for every Kshs. 100 spent in healthcare in Kenya, Kshs 30 is out of pocket,” said Hon. (Dr.) Pukose.

He added that the processing of the BPS by the Committee provides an opportunity for the Committee and the National Assembly to engage on the budget at a policy level and subsequently ensure that its input feeds into and informs the annual estimates.

CS Nakhumicha reiterated her Ministry's commitment to working with Parliament and other stakeholders to ensure the provision of quality, accessible, and affordable healthcare services to Kenyans.

 “We believe that this is necessary for a healthy, productive population required to grow our economy,” the CS said.

 She highlighted the Government's efforts to achieve Universal Health Coverage, including the reform of the National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF) to meet the urgent needs of Kenyans at the bottom of the socioeconomic structure.