The Ministry of Health has warned that the Kenya Medical Supply Authority (KEMSA) is currently facing a drug and other health products stockout.
Speaking during a press briefing on Tuesday, April 1, the Health Cabinet Secretary, Aden Duale, said that the shortage is due to the lack of finances to replenish health products and technologies at KEMSA.
According to the CS, the current order-to-fill rate of health products at KEMSA stands at 43 per cent.
"The current order fill rate at KEMSA stands at 43 per cent. This is due to the fact that KEMSA is facing stockouts due to a lack of finances to replenish health products and technologies," he said.
However, Duale said that the government is set to recapitalise KEMSA with Ksh1.5 billion through the supplementary budget and is also seeking a Ksh5 billion loan to ensure the order fill rate climbs to 90 per cent.
Duale affirmed that the recharge of KEMSA stocks will be fundamental in boosting local manufacturing of health products and reducing the high costs of medical commodities.
"To ensure KEMSA order fill rate goes up to 90 per cent. To achieve this, recapitalisation of Ksh1.5 billion to KEMSA is to be provided through the Supplementary Budget and negotiating for a credit facility of up to Ksh5B to be provided to KEMSA guaranteeing commodity security across the country," he said.
The development comes days after the World Health Organisation (WHO) revealed that Kenya is among seven countries that are at risk of exhausting HIV treatment supplies following the halt of US foreign aid by the Donald Trump administration.
According to the WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, in a press conference on Monday, March 17, other countries that could face a shortage of these commodities following the US fund cuts include Haiti, Lesotho, South Sudan, Burkina Faso, Mali, Nigeria, and Ukraine.
WHO warned that the shortage could lead to over 10 million additional HIV cases globally and three million HIV-related deaths across the globe if the funding cut continues.
"The disruptions to HIV programs could undo 20 years of progress," he said.
"The United States has a responsibility to ensure that if it withdraws direct funding for countries, it's done in an orderly and humane way that allows them to find alternative sources of funding," he added.
