Policy Shift Aims to Expand Primary Healthcare Access

The Kenyan government has launched a major policy realignment to strengthen primary healthcare (PHC) delivery, placing prevention and community-level services at the heart of its Universal Health Coverage (UHC) efforts. Under the Primary Health Care Optimization Initiative, the Ministry of Health, together with partners like Amref Health Africa, is leveraging a suite of recent reforms—anchored on new legislation—to create a more person-centred, sustainable health system.
A key part of this shift is the establishment of Primary Care Networks (PCNs): administrative structures that link local health facilities (from dispensaries to higher-level clinics) under a coordinated service delivery model. To date, 160 PCNs have been activated, covering 87% of Kenya’s counties, according to the Ministry. These networks emphasize integrated care — combining health promotion, preventive services, and treatment — and have already reported improved outreach, screening, and referral systems.
To make the PHC system more robust, the Ministry is also tying in financial and digital reforms. A dedicated PHC Fund under the Social Health Authority (SHA) ensures that resources go directly to support primary-level facilities. Further, the government is using its electronic Community Health Information System (e‑CHIS) to register households and monitor community health metrics in real time, greatly improving resource allocation and decision-making.
These changes are supported by substantial external backing: the World Bank has committed US$215 million to bolster institutional capacity, commodity supply, and PHC services under the Building Resilient and Responsive Health Systems Project. Meanwhile, county-level leaders — like in Nyeri — are aligning their health infrastructure and digital systems with the national PCN strategy to expand access and make care more equitable.