A Cabinet memorandum, pertaining to ways for raising funds for HIV programs, was prepared by the Kenyan National AIDS Control Council, in March 2011. Today, AIDS has taken the form of an epidemic in Kenya, forcing the country to seek sustainable methods to fight it. The memo was prepared on the basis of Health Systems 20/20’s HIV/AIDS Program Sustainability Tool (HAPSAT) assessment, which is funded by USAID.
Regina Ombam,and Irene Mukui, who have played an important role in preparing the memo told how the memo will prove to be useful for the 1.5 million AIDS victims in the country. Regina Ombam, who is the head of strategy for Kenya National AIDS Control Council (NACC), helps plan, implement and evaluate the HIV programs in Kenya. Irene Mukui, who is the manager for the antiretroviral therapy (ART) program for the National AIDS and STI Control Programme, looks after the provision of ART and other associated care.
Commenting upon the proposals included in the memo for funding HIV programs, Regina Ombam said, “The Cabinet memo proposes that the Ministry of Finance create a HIV/AIDS Trust Fund that would support scaling up prevention, treatment, care and support in Kenya. If approved, the government would contribute 1% of its annual revenue to the fund. In addition, the fund would receive contributions from partners and the private sector through initiatives such as airtime and airline levies, levies on remittances from abroad, corporate and NGO donations, the national lottery system, and leveraging unclaimed financial assets (i.e., monies that are dormant or abandoned often as a result of death, name change, or relocation). The Ministry of State for Special Programmes, the Ministry of Public Health and Sanitation, and the Ministry for Medical Services would implement HIV programming supported by the fund.”
She also said that at present, they were waiting for the Minister for Special Programs to present the memo to the cabinet, for its approval.
Speaking on the same issue, Irene Mukui said, “The Cabinet memo aims to establish long-term, sustainable financing through the existing National Health Insurance Fund and increase government funding to meet the Abuja target of allocating 15% of the annual budget to health.”
Explaining the effect the memo will have on Kenya’s 1.5 million HIV infected people, and how it will help them cover HIV-related costs, Irene Mukui said, “The Cabinet memo proposes not only increased local resources for HIV, and hence less reliance on external funding, but also offers sustainable solutions such as expanding the National Health Insurance Fund to finance antiretroviral therapy and treatment for opportunistic infections. A 25% increase in premium payments would provide $122 million in funding over five years, which would be enough to cover roughly 25% of the population in need during that time period, or approximately 174,000 Kenyans by 2015.”
Regina Ombam explained that at present Kenya did not have sufficient funds to combat the epidemic. However, if the memo is passed the trust fund will be able to provide Ksh 1 billion (US$10.7 million), every year, through government contributions. The amount will be sufficient to help people receive ARV treatment, and provide the required ARV drugs to prevent mother-to-child transmission of the virus.
