NAIROBI, Aug. 19 — Kenyan President William Ruto on Tuesday reaffirmed Kenya’s commitment to accelerating health sector reforms to tackle the country’s rising burden of infectious and non-communicable diseases.
Speaking at the Kenya Health Summit 2026 in Nairobi, the Kenyan capital, Ruto said that efforts to overhaul the healthcare system, driven by policy reforms, innovative financing, digital integration, and capacity building, remain on track. Ruto said Kenya is on course to achieve universal health coverage, backed by targeted fiscal and regulatory incentives to expand access to medical insurance and equip facilities nationwide with modern diagnostic equipment. In addition, Ruto said Kenya is prioritizing the local manufacturing of medical supplies, including pharmaceuticals, vaccines, and diagnostic equipment, to strengthen national health sovereignty amid ongoing global supply chain disruptions. Aden Duale, cabinet secretary in the Ministry of Health, said targeted reforms and sustainable financing have strengthened high-impact health interventions nationwide, improving childhood immunization, safe motherhood programs, and access to essential life-saving medicines, while driving down infant and maternal mortality rates. “The country has recorded gains in key health outcomes. Coverage of fully immunized children has risen from 78 to 97 percent, while new HIV infections have declined by 37 percent since 2022, including a 41 percent reduction among young people aged 15 to 24 years,” Duale said. Convened by the Ministry of Health and its partners, the summit is being held under the theme “Reforms Delivered, Health as a Right.” The two-day forum brings together nearly 5,000 stakeholders, including senior policymakers, industry leaders, academics, and civil society representatives.
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