CS Duale Universal Health Coverage took center stage at a high-level ministerial side event during the 78th World Health Assembly (WHA78), where Kenya’s Cabinet Secretary for Health, Hon. Aden Duale, highlighted Kenya’s transformative healthcare reforms and called for innovative financing to advance health equity across Africa.
Hosted by the Global Fund, the event themed “Accelerating Universal Health Coverage: Mobilising Resources for Health Equity and Sustainability in Africa,” provided a platform for health leaders to share strategies for building resilient, inclusive health systems.
In his address, CS Duale spotlighted Kenya’s recent milestone the establishment of the Social Health Authority (SHA) and Social Health Insurance (SHI), which officially replace the National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF). He described this as a landmark shift toward inclusive health access, ensuring coverage for all Kenyans regardless of employment, age, income, or location.
The CS noted that SHA and SHI have received strong public support, crediting the reforms for eliminating historic limitations of the NHIF and steering the country toward Universal Health Coverage (UHC). He emphasized that dismantling access barriers is essential to securing a future where no Kenyan is left behind in accessing healthcare.
Recognizing the evolving global funding landscape, CS Duale urged African nations to adopt innovative domestic financing mechanisms and to optimize the Global Fund’s catalytic role by aligning it with long-term sustainability strategies. He stressed that domestic ownership and strategic partnerships are key to achieving health equity and system resilience.
The ministerial side event, convened by Global Fund Executive Director Peter Sands, also featured distinguished health leaders, including H.E. Dr. Jean Kaseya, Director General of Africa CDC, Dr. Ruth Lawson, Deputy Permanent Representative for Global Health, and Dr. Joy Phumaphi, Executive Director of the African Leaders Malaria Alliance (ALMA).
Kenya’s participation at WHA78 reflects its growing leadership in health sector transformation, with CS Duale positioning the country as a model for integrated, inclusive healthcare reform in Africa.
