President William Ruto will on Thursday 19th October 2023 sign into law four health bills which according to plan will help the country achieve Universal Health Coverage.
The signing into law of the bills is to set pace for this year’s Mashujaa Day theme which is Universal Health Coverage.
The four health bills set to be signed into law by the President are: The Social Health Insurance Bill 2023, Digital Health Bill, Facility Improvement Financing Bill and the Primary Health Care Services Bill
The bills which have been termed as a game changer on matters health are aimed at laying ground for reforms to financing and delivery of health services in the country
Public participation for the four health bills was held from 5th to 8th September 2023 where suggestions, views and inputs were received from Semi-Autonomous Government agencies (SAGAs), Development Partners for Health in Kenya (DPHK), Media, Civil Society Organizations (CSOs), Central Organization of Trade Unions (COTU), Kenyan HealthCare Unions, HealthCare providers from across various regions, Health Committee of the council of governors and the Federation of Kenya Employers (FKE)
- The Social Health Insurance Bill 2023
In this bill, it is proposed that health insurance should be guaranteed to all Kenyans but anchored on contributions while government subsidizes for the poor.
It mandates creation of three funds to cover different services and a government agency that will oversee its operations
Among the proposals in the Social Health Insurance bill are the establishment of the Social Health Authority that will in turn give effect to article 43 (1) (a) which addresses the right to health care services being guaranteed, providing content to the right to health and placing clear obligations upon the government to provide health care services
What more will the social health insurance bill 2023 provide
(a) Provide a framework for improved health outcomes and financial protection in line with the right to health and universal coverage
(b) Realign healthcare systems, processes and programs for responsiveness, reliability and sustainability of healthcare in the country
(c) Enhance pooling of resources and risks based on the principles of solidarity, equity and efficiency so as to guarantee access to health care services to all
(d) Promote strategic purchasing of healthcare services
- The Digital Health Bill
This bill seeks to operationalize section 104 of the health act 2017 which mandated the Cabinet Secretary Ministry of Health to within three years ensure the enactment of an e-health legislation that provides for among other things (a) administration of health information banks including interoperability framework, data interchange and security, collection and use of personal health information, management of disclosure of personal health information, protection of privacy, business continuity, emergency and disaster preparedness, health service delivery through M-Health, E-learning and telemedicine, E-waste and health tourism
3.The Facility Improvement Financing Bill
This bill seeks to provide a framework for public health facility improvement financing and management, and administration of the improvement financing, and for connected purposes
It aims at
(a) Providing efficient, secure and accountable mechanism for the collection , retention and management of revenue derived from health services rendered at public health facilities in Kenya
(b) Establishing a governance framework that will facilitate effective planning, coordination, mobilization and access of public health facilities’ improvement financing in the country
(c) Providing appropriation, management and use of retained health services revenue to supplement operations and facilitate quality service delivery in the public health facility
(d) Promoting equitable health facilities improvement financing including benefit sharing in accordance with the relevant laws of Kenya
(e) Providing a unified system to guide financial management in public health facilities, improving efficiency and effectiveness to enhance quality health delivery
- The Primary Health Care Services Bill
This bill seeks to provide a framework for the delivery of and access to and management of primary health care, to establish the primary health care fund to provide for the financing of primary health care and for connected purposes
It aims at
(a) Promoting and fulfilling the rights of all persons in Kenya towards the progressive realization of their right to the highest attainable standards of healthcare
(b) Promoting the implementation of primary health care through a systemic approach and clear delineation of roles of all stakeholders towards realization of universal health coverage
(c) Providing for the establishment of primary health care networks, community health unites and other stakeholder centered engagement forums for sustainable provision of primary health care services
(d) Providing for the role of multi-disciplinary team in the provision of primary health care services
(e) Providing for the role of community health officers, community health assistants and community health promoters in the provision of community based primary health care
(f) Providing for the establishment of the primary health care fund
Once the bills are signed into law, the Kenya Kwanza administration is set to advance its goals towards achieving Universal Health Coverage
In Kericho County where a week-long conference on Universal Health Coverage has been going on, the Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua led stakeholders in pitching for Universal Health Coverage ahead of the national Mashujaa Day fete which will be held in the county on Friday 20th October 2023
