Kenya’s Big 4 agenda received individual accolades in Amsterdam as the First Lady Margaret Kenyatta led a delegation to take part in the International Aids Conference.
Patrick Brenny, UNAIDS Regional Director for West and Central Africa, acknowledged Kenya’s efforts in putting health at the heart of the country’s social development plan by spending in human capital.
Brenny guaranteed Kenya together with sub-Saharan other nations support to ensure they achieve the UHCs.
“UNAIDS is committed to supporting the UHC in Kenya and other Sub-Saharan countries,” said Brenny.
President Uhuru earlier in the year launched a draft budget policy statement in which he listed the big four agenda for his second term in office.
The agenda includes universal health care, affordable housing, manufacturing, and food security.
The government estimates to increase the manufacturing stake from 9 per cent to 15 per cent which translates to 1.29 million jobs by 2022.
The same plan projects the construction of 500,000 affordable houses to the Kenyans.
The First Lady was accompanied by Chief Administrative Secretary for Health Rashid Aman, Chief Executive Officer of the National AIDS Control Council, Nduku Kilonzo and NACC board chair Angeline Siparo.
Termination of AIDS menace and realizing the UHC by 2030 in Africa took centre stage as health top officials from Nigeria, Ghana, Kenya, and Rwanda formed part of the panellists.
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Aman recognized Kenya’s efforts in the war against HIV/AIDS adding that the country can borrow from its expertise, lessons, and infrastructure it has improved over the years in its response to the HIV/AIDS epidemic to fasten the realization of UHC.
Such achievements entail improvements in the National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF) to provide detailed health coverage as well as the development of the health facilities.
“For us to achieve our UHC goals, HIV services including testing, ARVs and condoms must all be part of the health benefits package covered under insurance,” he said.
Kenya has also made landmark steps in the reduction of HIV/AIDS-related deaths, increased access to ARVs, and reduction in the cases of maternal deaths.
The AIDS2018, the world’s biggest conference on a single health issue is hosted at the RAI Amsterdam Convention Centre.
The event has attracted over 15000 researchers, activists, and a host of delegations from over 160 countries.