Doctors Push for Affordable Access to Essential Medicines

Health professionals in Kenya are increasingly calling for broader access to affordable essential medicines. Amid ongoing debates on Universal Health Coverage (UHC), doctors argue that the high cost of key treatments—especially for non-communicable diseases, cancer, and infections—remains a major barrier for many patients in public health facilities. These concerns are gaining traction as policymakers and pharmaceutical stakeholders push for reforms to make lifesaving therapies more accessible and equitable.
One of the most concrete moves in this direction is the recently announced Kenya–Pfizer Accord, under which Kenya will procure over 140 medicines on a not-for-profit basis, lowering prices by as much as 60 percent. Health officials state that the partnership will significantly reduce the financial burden on patients and align with national goals to improve health equity, especially in public hospitals.
In parallel, the Ministry of Health has set an ambitious target to ramp up local production of essential medicines—from about 20 percent currently to 50 percent. This strategy seeks to reduce dependence on imports (which expose the country to global price volatility) and to strengthen the domestic pharmaceutical industry. However, some health experts warn that regulatory hurdles, slow drug registration, and limited capacity in local manufacturing are hampering progress.
Doctors and policymakers are also pushing broader regulatory reforms to combat counterfeit drugs and improve drug traceability. At the same time, the Kenya Medical Supplies Agency (KEMSA) is being restructured to improve its efficiency, with the goal of consistently meeting drug order fulfillment targets for public health facilities. Together, these reforms aim to build a stronger, more reliable drug supply chain so that essential medicines are not just available, but also affordable for all Kenyans.