The Makueni’s Universal Health Coverage (UHC) which has been operational for the last 3 years will receive a sh. 3 Billion funding boost, a matching fund running for a period of 12 years. The funding will be provided by the Dutch government with a matching fund by the county government. Amref Health Innovations will provide the required technical capacity while Phillips will supply high tech medical equipment during the program period. Making the announcement, the Netherland’s ambassador to Kenya Maarten Brouwer confirmed that the talks were at the tail levels for Makueni citizens to start benefiting.
“We have agreed to wind up the process very quickly. We will have a program of 12 years in which it will take 25 Million Euros from our side and that will also be marched from the local resources “, said Maarten Brouwer, the ambassador. Makueni county government has to march an equivalent amount which is reported to a major jerk in primary health care provision. “There is a proposal from the Makueni county so that we can start implementation of this program as soon as possible,” he added .The Makueni governor Kivutha Kibwana on his bid applauded an existing partnership amongst Amref-Health Africa, Phillips during a pilot program that has already been carried out in various hospitals in the County.
“A Public Private Partnership between Phillips, Amref-Health innovations and Makueni County carried out a model feasibility study between 2018 and 2020 which included one level 3 facility and two level 2 facilities in 3 community health units with a catchment area of 20,000 people,” said Kibwana. During the project period, there was an increase of up to 92 percent in total number of out patient’s visits, a 78 percent increase in skilled deliveries.