Duale inaugurates Benefits and Tariffs Panel to advance Universal Health Coverage
Politics
By
Mike Kihaki
| May 26, 2025
The newly formed Benefits Package and Tariffs Advisory Panel faces mounting pressure to tackle high treatment costs, lack of health data and fragmented donor programmes as it begins shaping the country's push toward Universal Health Coverage.
The panel, gazetted on April 23 under the Social Health Insurance Act, 2023, will guide the design and review of health benefits and tariffs.
It is hosted at the University of Nairobi's College of Health Sciences and includes a team of experts drawn from multiple disciplines.
Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale said the panel must confront deep-rooted challenges to make the ambitious health reforms work.
"High costs of treatment for chronic and complex illnesses, lack of standardised pricing, insufficient health data and fragmented donor-funded programmes pose serious challenges," said Duale during the inauguration on Monday, May 26.
The panel's core work will include developing benefits packages based on health needs, conducting assessments to ensure interventions are evidence-based and cost-effective and reviewing tariffs in line with current disease burdens and service gaps.
It is also expected to identify essential services that remain out of reach for many and engage the public and providers in building fair policy.
"A healthier population is the foundation of a more prosperous nation. This panel is not just a technical body; it is a strategic investment in our human capital and a catalyst for economic growth," noted Duale.
He added the ministry is fully committed to supporting the panel, which is expected to meet at least twice a year as the social health insurance system rolls out.