KEHPHPU calls for balanced budget to strengthen public health in Kenya
KEHPHPU CEO emphasized that preventive public health addresses conditions such as malaria, TB, cholera, diabetes, and even cancer, many of which are largely preventable.
Kenya’s public health sector is underfunded compared to curative services, limiting preventive interventions despite having trained public health officers, according to Brown Ashira Olaly, Secretary General and CEO of the Environmental Health and Public Health Practitioners’ Union (KEHPHPU).
Speaking in an interview with Radio Generation, Ashira said the union represents over 7,000 public health officers and technicians, a group that previously had no dedicated union.
“We have never had a union before. We’ve been having for the nurses. We’ve been having all the doctors, the clinic officers, the lab and what are you, but now we in this space of prevention,” Ashira said.
He explained that the union focuses on preventing disease rather than treating it, aiming to reduce hospital congestion and ensure Kenyans live healthier lives.
“Our work is to decongest hospitals. We don’t want Kenyans to fall sick. We want to ensure that we try as much as we can to ensure that our Kenyans live healthy lifestyles,” Ashira added.
KEHPHPU CEO emphasized that preventive public health addresses conditions such as malaria, TB, cholera, diabetes, and even cancer, many of which are largely preventable.
He said public health interventions go beyond treating illness, they promote healthier, longer lives and reduce the burden on hospitals.
The union leader highlighted a major disparity in budget allocations between curative and preventive services.
According to Ashira, the government allocated nearly Sh118 billion to curative services in the last budget, while preventive public health received only Sh32 billion.
“Most of it doesn’t really address public health interventions. We are talking about malaria control, TB control, cholera management because we really don’t want people to fall sick,” he said.
He stressed that preventive services require funding proportional to curative care.
Whatever is being given to curative, it should also be given to preventive, so that we can actually be able to track down on disease,” Ashira said.
In addition, the KEHPHPU boss called for proper budget allocation to strengthen disease surveillance and public health initiatives, ensuring diseases do not spread unchecked.
Ashira also further commended community health promoters, who link public health officers to local populations.
Initially, volunteers, these workers now receive a modest government stipend of Sh2,500 from both the national and county governments.
“It’s a monthly stipend, though not enough, also, but I would really say that it’s better than nothing because these friends of ours were actually doing a good job,” he said.
Ashira noted that these community health promoters play a vital role in detecting outbreaks early and referring cases to health facilities.
The KEHPHPU leader urged the government to prioritize public health funding alongside curative services, saying Kenya has the trained personnel and systems needed to strengthen preventive care. He added that with balanced budgets, the country could better manage preventable diseases, protect communities, and improve overall health outcomes.
