Posted on :Monday , 8th April 2024

Kenyans will gain from increased institutional capacity to provide essential health services as well as improvements in the standard and uptake of primary healthcare services. Important beneficiaries include refugees and host communities in Garissa and Turkana, as well as women and children from low-income families who mostly depend on primary healthcare services.

In order to help Kenya get closer to universal health coverage (UHC), major institutions will be strengthened under the $215 million Building Resilient and Responsive Health Systems Project.

The Kenya Medical Supplies Authority (KEMSA) would have more power to guarantee prompt access to medical supplies and technologies at the primary healthcare (PHC) level, as well as improved accountability and transparency in fiduciary procedures.

Along with these issues, the project will tackle shortages of human resources, parallel health services for refugees with limited county engagement, health financing and quality of care reforms, geographical disparities in health outcomes, and suboptimal availability and use of quality data for decision making.“By investing at the primary health care level, the project will contribute towards laying a solid foundation for the delivery of health services in Kenya,” stated Keith Hansen, World Bank Country Director for Kenya.

Access to healthcare services is impeded for refugees and their host populations in the counties of Garissa and Turkana, mostly affecting women and children. The project will help provide comprehensive health services to meet the requirements of the 590,000 refugees and the 1.8 million members of the host population in these areas.

Jane Chuma, World Bank Senior Health Economist, and the Task Team Leader. stated “The project will support the Kenyan government’s UHC reforms agenda, including the transition from the National Health Insurance Fund to the Social Health Authority (SHA),”

The initiative is in line with the World Bank Group's FY23–FY28 Country Partnership Framework.

Out of the $215 million, $15 million comes from the Global Financing Facility, $40 million comes from the IDA Window for Host Communities and Refugees, and $160 million comes from the International Development Association (IDA).