President William Ruto has thanked pharmaceutical company Pfizer for recognising Kenya’s efforts in implementing Universal Health Coverage (UHC) and supporting health initiatives across Africa.
Speaking in a statement, Ruto said the country’s progress in expanding healthcare access had been made possible through contributions from Kenyans, Parliament, technology and health workers.
The President said 32.5 million Kenyans have so far registered with the Social Health Authority (SHA), providing the government with a foundation to finance healthcare services.
He also credited Parliament with enacting legislation establishing funds supporting primary healthcare, social insurance, and emergency, chronic and critical illness care.
According to Ruto, technology through the Digital Health Agency has played a key role in digitising health services, improving transparency and helping eliminate fraud within the system.
“The technology, through the Digital Health Agency, has been pivotal in the digitisation of services, creating the necessary transparency and consequently eliminating fraud,” Ruto said.
The President further highlighted the role of health workers in delivering universal healthcare, saying the government had worked with county governments to employ more staff, address long-standing collective bargaining disputes and expand community health promotion.
On the availability of medicines, Ruto said the government had strengthened the Kenya Medical Supplies Authority (KEMSA), with its refill rate improving to 91 per cent from a low of 40 per cent.
The government is also working with manufacturers to provide and maintain medical equipment, including dialysis machines, CT scans, MRI machines, digital X-rays and laboratory kits.
Ruto said the equipment is being provided under a fee-for-service arrangement, allowing hospitals to access the equipment without upfront costs to the government.
He reaffirmed the government’s commitment to improving the universal healthcare programme until it reaches every Kenyan.
