Nairobi: Health Cabinet Secretary (CS), Aden Duale, announced plans by the Ministry to review and enhance packages under the Social Health Authority (SHA) program. The initiative is a response to feedback from Kenyans seeking improvements, particularly in oncology services.
According to Kenya News Agency, Duale stated that the Ministry is collaborating with the Benefits Package and Tariffs Advisory Panel to ensure that the revised SHA packages are fair, evidence-based, affordable, and financially sustainable, aligning with the government's Universal Health Coverage (UHC) agenda. A significant focus of the review is the oncology package, currently capped at Sh550,000, after many Kenyans requested an increase due to the high costs of cancer treatment.
The announcement was made during the annual convention of the Kenya Association of Private Hospitals (KAPH) in Nairobi, where Duale reassured stakeholders of the Ministry's commitment to making the SHA program effective in delivering quality healthcare to all Kenyans. The CS highlighted the 5th Administration's UHC agenda, emphasizing a skilled workforce, innovative financing through the Social Health Insurance Fund (SHIF), secure locally made health products, and a fully digital health system.
Duale also called on the private sector to collaborate with the government to raise standards, protect patients, secure facilities, and improve medical training. He reported that the Kenya Medical Practitioners and Dentists Council (KMPDC) is being strengthened to ensure adherence to fundamental safety and minimum health standards, accelerating quality healthcare.
Additionally, Duale noted that adopting digital health will help eliminate unqualified practitioners and fraud, with foreign specialists engaged only for verified local shortages and with time-bound approvals linked to skills transfer. The convention concluded with the launch of the KAPH Anti-Fraud Policy, a significant step in self-regulation aligned with SHA, Digital Health Authority, and KMPDC frameworks to curb fraud, waste, and abuse.