The Social Health Authority (SHA) wants to raise Kenya’s cancer treatment cover to Ksh1 million for every patient. The goal is to make treatment more affordable and help more people complete their care.
Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale said this during a session in Parliament on Wednesday, November 5, 2025. He explained that SHA, through the Social Health Insurance Fund (SHIF), is helping patients from diagnosis to treatment and palliative care.
The current cover is Ksh550,000 per patient — Ksh400,000 from SHIF and Ksh150,000 from the Emergency, Chronic and Critical Illness Fund (ECCIF). SHA has asked the Benefits Package and Tariffs Advisory Panel (BPTAP) to increase this limit to Ksh1 million.
The change will make cancer care more affordable and prevent patients from dropping out of treatment. SHA has also removed limits on the number of treatment sessions within the yearly cap.
Right now, 140 hospitals offer full cancer treatment under SHA. So far, 33,101 patients have benefited, with Ksh5.8 billion paid out and Ksh774.6 million still being processed.
Duale also said the Ministry of Health plans to clear old hospital debts left by the former NHIF, starting with facilities owed between Ksh1 million and Ksh10 million.
He added that the doctors’ strike in Kiambu County has ended, and normal services have resumed across the country. Kenya has also made progress in fighting tuberculosis, with cases down 41 percent and deaths down 65 percent since 2015.
Source: People Daily
