The health sector has received a funding cut after the National Treasury reduced its allocation by Sh5.6 billion.
In the 2023-24 budget statement presented before Parliament on Thursday, the Health Ministry received an allocation of Sh141.2 billion down from Sh146.8 billion in the 2022-23 financial year.
Of the allocation, Sh116 billion would go to the Medical Services department and Sh24.6 billion to Public Health Standards.
Sh21 billion has been allocated for curative and reproductive health while Sh7.3 billion for preventive and promotive health services.
While Sh4.9 billion will go towards health research and innovation, Sh1.8 billion to health policy, standards, and regulations and Sh15 billion to health resources development and innovation.
A total of Sh63.5 billion will go towards national referral and specialised services.
The government allocated Sh121.09 billion towards health in the 2021-22 budget which was an increase from Sh111.7 billion the sector received in the 2020-21 budget.
President William Ruto’s administration has proposed a Sh3.6 trillion for the Financial Year 2023-24 with a Sh700 billion deficit to be financed through borrowing.
The budget will mark an increase of Sh251 billion from the FY 2022-23 budget which stood at Sh3.39 trillion.
The government plans to spend Sh2.5 trillion on recurrent expenses and Sh769.3 billion on development.
Kenya has continued to fall short of her allocation to the health sector as per the Abuja declaration.
In April 2001, heads of state of African Union countries met and pledged to set a target of allocating at least 15 per cent of their annual budget to improve the health sector.
As a result, the majority of Kenyans still struggle to get access to quality, timely and affordable healthcare due to their inability to keep up with the out-of-pocket payments.
This was because more resources were required to address the pressing health challenges of the day, including HIV and AIDS, Malaria and Tuberculosis.