Kenya is scrambling to keep critical HIV and tuberculosis services afloat after a major freeze in US aid halted parts of its public health programmes. Now, the Clinton Health Access Initiative (CHAI) has stepped in to help bridge the growing funding gap.
In a closed-door meeting held in Nairobi on Monday, senior officials from CHAI and Kenya’s Ministry of Health mapped out an emergency plan to stabilise services that were thrown into disarray after Washington’s unexpected stop-work order earlier this year. The order, part of a wider funding review, affected projects heavily reliant on US donor support.
Dr Gerald Macharia, CHAI’s global director, said the organisation had secured a 12-month support package to help cushion the blow. “We’re focusing on immediate needs but also supporting long-term reforms,” he said after meeting with Dr Ouma Oluga, Kenya’s Principal Secretary for Medical Services.
A System Under Pressure
Kenya has long relied on international aid to sustain its HIV and TB care programmes. According to UNAIDS, more than 1.4 million Kenyans are living with HIV. Tuberculosis, often linked to the virus, remains one of the country’s top infectious killers.
The funding freeze couldn’t have come at a worse time. Clinics in several counties have reported drug shortages. Some outreach and diagnostic services have stalled. And health workers fear the progress made over the past two decades could begin to unravel.
“It’s been a shock to the system,” one county health official in western Kenya, who asked not to be named, told The New York Times. “We’re already seeing signs of strain.”
Filling the Gaps
CHAI’s emergency support is meant to buy time. Alongside the Health Ministry, the organization has begun a “resource mapping” exercise to track how health funds are being spent and where gaps lie. The aim, officials say, is better coordination and better value for every shilling invested.
The partnership will also push for deeper reforms in how Kenya finances its healthcare. That includes exploring new ways to raise money at home, such as through public-private partnerships and targeted donor engagement.
“We must learn to rely more on ourselves,” said Dr Oluga. “This is not just about patching holes, it’s about building a health system that can stand on its own.”
Challenges Ahead
But that vision won’t come easy. Kenya’s health sector has long struggled with inefficiencies, corruption, and political interference. Previous reform efforts have stumbled under the weight of bureaucracy and shifting national priorities.
Still, observers say the CHAI partnership offers a rare opportunity to reset the conversation around healthcare funding especially if it helps spark a broader shift towards domestic ownership of vital services.
CHAI also plans to support stronger data collection and analysis, which could help health planners better understand where to deploy limited resources for the greatest impact.
“It’s about being smarter with what we have,” said Dr Macharia. “And making sure the people who need care the most don’t fall through the cracks.”
As the government looks to stabilise the system, what’s clear is that patients cannot wait. For those living with HIV and TB, any pause in care is more than a statistic—it’s a threat to life.
“We’ve come too far to go backwards,” Dr Oluga said. “And we won’t let that happen.”
