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Health Ministry seeks extra Sh140m for HIV database
The Principal Secretary State Department for Medical Services Harry Kimtai during a high-level meeting on mitigation measures to address the impact of funding cuts on Kenya’s HIV response at Serena Hotel in Nairobi on March 12, 2025.
The Ministry of Health is seeking an extra allocation of Sh140 million for the financial year 2025/26 to create a centralised digital database on HIV care.
This funding aims to improve data accessibility, interoperability, and efficiency within Kenya’s health system by fully integrating HIV-related digital platforms into a centralised national platform.
“Integrating HIV programme systems into the digital health superhighway is a necessary shift towards sustainability. With uncertainties in international funding, Kenya must ensure uninterrupted HIV care by strengthening local health infrastructure,” the ministry said.
The digital health superhighway is a national initiative to centralise health data and improve service delivery.
By integrating HIV programme systems into this digital ecosystem, Kenya aims to increase accessibility and ensure that healthcare providers can securely access patient records regardless of location, thereby improving continuity of care.
For the fiscal year 2024/25, which ends in June, the government had allocated a similar amount for maintenance, software licences, updates, and system support for existing health information management systems, an investment it said has ensured that Kenya’s digital infrastructure remains operational, secure and reliable.
“The priority has been to stabilise our digital health systems to prevent service interruptions. Now we need to take the next step towards full integration to safeguard HIV care,” the ministry added.
This funding request comes in response to a recent US executive order that has impacted global health funding, including support for HIV programmes in Kenya.
In response to concerns about reduced external funding, the government aims to strengthen the self-reliance and sustainability of the HIV response by investing in digital infrastructure to improve data management, patient tracking, and service delivery.
The financial constraints imposed by the executive order have increased the need for data-driven resource allocation. According to the ministry, a fully integrated HIMS will provide policymakers with real-time insights into HIV infection trends, treatment adherence, and supply chain needs, ensuring that limited resources are used optimally.
In addition, the system will support automated treatment reminders, virtual consultations, and improved patient follow-up, reducing the risk of treatment interruptions.
In a briefing to assess the impact of the US Executive Order on Foreign Assistance, the ministry also called for the integration of essential HIV commodities into the Social Health Authority (SHA) framework through increased government funding in the financial year 2025/2026 budget.
This initiative aims to ensure uninterrupted access to life-saving treatment for all people enrolled in the national HIV programme.
If implemented, this policy would be a critical step towards sustainable health financing in Kenya, prioritising the well-being of people living with HIV and strengthening the country’s capacity to address public health challenges on its own.
“We propose that the government facilitate the inclusion of key strategic and essential HIV commodities under the Social Health Authority by increasing the GOK vote in the financial year 2025/2026 budget cycle for all within the treatment programme,” said Harry Kimtai, the Principal Secretary for Medical Services.
Historically, Kenya’s response to HIV/AIDS has relied heavily on donor funding. From 2021 to 2022, approximately 63.5 percent of the country’s HIV programme funding came from external sources, with the US President’s Emergency Plan for Aids Relief (Pepfar) contributing 37 percent of the total investment.
However, recent uncertainties in global funding, including the temporary suspension of Pepfar funding by the US government, have exposed the vulnerabilities associated with this dependence.
In recent budget cycles, the government has allocated funds to support HIV initiatives. For example, in the financial year 2024, the National Aids Control Council received Sh971.95 million, while the National AIDS Control Programme received Sh144.75 million. In addition, a special Global Fund HIV grant contributed Sh4.03 billion to the country’s efforts.
