Kenya-US health financing model under review
By Joseph Ng’ang’a(KNA)
Kenya and the United States of America are reviewing the current health financing model to strengthen the new cooperation framework.
Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale, during high-level consultations with United States officials on the ongoing transition to a new Government-to-Government (G2G) financing model under the Kenya-US health cooperation framework, said there is need for a structured, transparent and accountable transition that safeguards the continuity of essential health services while enhancing Kenya government's ownership, strengthening systems and building institutional capacity.
He spoke while hosting US Embassy Deputy Head of Mission Carla Benini and representatives from PwC and the Project Management Unit (PMU) for discussions.
The talks focused on assessing progress in the transition, reviewing agreed milestones and strengthening governance arrangements supporting the new cooperation framework.
The discussions covered governance and oversight, risk and capacity assessments, transition milestones and preliminary findings.
Both sides reaffirmed that major decisions would continue to be handled through established bilateral governance structures.
They also agreed that the outstanding risk and capacity assessment should be completed within a jointly agreed and clearly defined timeframe.
"There is a need for transparent and consistent financing throughout the transition period," Duale said.
During the meeting, delegations reviewed the outstanding disbursement instrument required to operationalise Kenya's on-budget financial commitment under the new arrangement.
They reaffirmed that the transition is being implemented within a government-approved framework designed to strengthen accountability, improve the use of government systems and ensure continuity of critical health programmes.
The framework also seeks to maximise the effective utilisation of available resources for the benefit of Kenyans while supporting the country's broader Universal Health Coverage agenda.
Duale said the government is committed to working closely with the US Government and other partners to ensure the transition results in a sustainable, government-led model of health cooperation aligned with Kenya's health priorities.
The meeting was attended by Principal Secretary for Medical Services Dr Ouma Oluga, Principal Secretary for Public Health and Professional Standards Mary Muthoni, and Director-General for Health Dr Patrick Amoth among other dignitaries.
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