Health Cabinet Secretary Hon. Aden Duale today hosted a high-level delegation from Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, led by Country Director Mr. Thabani Maphosa, for a strategic meeting aimed at bolstering Kenya’s immunization programs and advancing progress toward Universal Health Coverage (UHC).
The discussions, held at Afya House, centered on aligning Gavi’s technical and financial support with Kenya’s national health priorities.
Key areas of focus included strengthening routine immunization, enhancing health system performance, and ensuring equitable access to vaccines across the country.
In his remarks, CS Duale emphasized the government’s ongoing reforms to boost domestic resource mobilization, particularly through the Social Health Authority, as a cornerstone for sustainable healthcare delivery.
He presented a new framework designed to protect and build on Kenya’s immunization gains, proposing that the country revert to the Preparatory Financing Phase.
Under this model, Kenya’s co-financing responsibilities would be gradually scaled up until 2035, providing a more sustainable pathway to self-reliance in public health financing.
“This framework reflects our deep commitment to the health of Kenyan children and our enduring partnership with Gavi,” said Duale. “We are determined to ensure continuity in essential services without compromising the strides we have made.”
Gavi, in turn, acknowledged Kenya’s efforts and announced an extension of the country’s co-financing transition period from five to eight years. The decision aims to create greater fiscal space for the country to reinforce its health infrastructure and immunization efforts.
To enhance coordination and oversight, CS Duale also announced plans to establish a dedicated Programme Coordinating Unit within the Ministry of Health to manage Gavi-related initiatives more effectively.
Present at the meeting were Principal Secretary for Medical Services Dr. Ouma Oluga, Director General for Health Dr. Patrick Amoth, and other senior Ministry officials, who echoed the Ministry’s commitment to transparency, accountability, and optimal use of partner resources.
The visit by the Gavi delegation underscores the ongoing collaboration between Kenya and global partners to ensure no child is left behind in the journey toward comprehensive healthcare.
