P4H network partners have funded a 3-month assignment supporting the government in finalising and disseminating the Kenya Health Care Financing Strategy. This strategy is the result of a consultative process initiated by the MOH back in 2007, and has now been finalised and disseminated to a number of stakeholders, including the Prime Minister’s Office and the Ministry of Finance, health-care service providers, including private sector, development partners and researchers.
Processes that have been supported/facilitated by P4H:
- The dissemination and discussion of the financing strategy.
- Detailing the initial phases of the implementation of the strategy, including testing ways to extend coverage to the poor and reviewing the institutional setup in preparation for future changes. Consequently, the issue of how to finance healthcare in the future has moved up the national agenda.
- Involvement of diverse stakeholders in the discussion, from government to development partners, and the National Hospital Insurance Fund to the private sector. The focus is on improving coverage, especially of the poor, through existing mechanisms, while continuing the discussion about how to achieve universal coverage.
Since November 2009, the National Economic and Social Council (NESC) has taken up the issues outlined in the Healthcare Financing Strategy. The NESC is chaired by the President of Kenya and recommends policies to the Cabinet.
