As Kenya nears the deadline to fulfill its immunization co-financing obligations, the transition from Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunization (GAVI) looms, raising concerns about the future of the country’s immunization program.
Women Members of Parliament (MPs) have urged the government and the Ministry of Health to prioritize immunization efforts and seek alternative funding sources to prevent potential vaccine shortages that could leave millions of children at risk.
Speaking at an event held by the Health NGO network (HENNET), the women Members of parliament through The Kenya Women Parliamentary Association (KEWOPA) chair Hon. Leah Sankaire, urged the government to set a clear transition plan.
“With the GAVI Transition plan for Kenya targeting 2029, we seek to see the proposed transitional plan with clear commitments from the Kenyan government to ensure that we will not have vaccination gaps as we progress towards self-financing.”
Echoing these sentiments, Teso South MP Mary Emaase, emphasized the need to direct a percentage of sin taxes as an alternative source of funding for the country’s immunization program, highlighting the urgency of securing sustainable domestic financing for immunization.
“As part of our action plan, we can recommend that a portion of funds from gaming and lotteries be allocated to immunization. The overall budget for the Ministry of Health has seen a slight increase over the years, but the allocation for immunization is on a declining trajectory. This must be reversed,” she urged.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO) Immunization saves between 3.5 million to 5 million deaths every year.
Currently the donor dependency on immunization stands at a ratio of 3.3:1, this means that for every dollar the government spends on immunization programs donors contributed more than double highlighting the high dependency on donor funding.
A statement read by KEWOPA chair Hon. Leah Sankaire, referenced the Health Sector Medium-Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF) 2023/24–2025/26, she warned against the overreliance on the declining donor funds.
“Immunization is among the programs that heavily depend on donor funding, yet such funding is rapidly declining. Kenya must progressively increase its domestic allocations to sustain the gains made.”
With Kenya set to transition out of GAVI support by 2029, the MPs stressed the need for the country to build financial independence in immunization funding.
MPs urged the government to explore multiple avenues, including taxation, private sector contributions, and special budgetary allocations, to ensure sustainable financing.
“We cannot afford a scenario where Kenya experiences vaccine shortages because we failed to plan ahead. The well-being of our children is non-negotiable.” the KEWOPA statement concluded.
The MPs also called on the ministry of Health and Treasury to honor its co-financing obligations with GAVI which amounts to Kshs 1.2 billion to be paid by 30th June 2025.
“We call on the Ministry of Health and the National Treasury to take this matter with the seriousness it deserves and should be handled immediately to avoid any vaccine stock out. We strongly believe that immunization financing should be of high priority and should be handled promptly.”
