Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale has announced the integration of mental health services into the national insurance benefits package through the Social Health Authority (SHA).
Speaking during the official opening of the 2nd National Mental Health Conference 2025 on Wednesday, October 8, Duale said the move was part of the government’s effort to ensure accessible and affordable mental healthcare for all Kenyans.
"Through the Taifa Care Model and the Social Health Authority (SHA), mental health services have now been integrated into the national insurance benefits package, ensuring that quality mental healthcare is accessible to every Kenyan," he said.
Duale emphasized that the government is also working to bring mental health support closer to communities through enhanced decentralization.
"We are further decentralizing mental health services to the grassroots, supported by 107,000 digitally empowered Community Health Promoters (CHPs) delivering early, person-centered care at the community level," he added.
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Duale further urged for stronger partnerships among different sectors to sustain progress in mental health awareness.
"In my keynote address, I called for strong collaboration across national and county governments, schools, faith institutions, civil society and the private sector to build a united and inclusive national response," he further said.
This comes two weeks after the Ministry of Health notified Kenyans of medical services found in Kenya and which can only be found overseas.
The Benefits Package and Tariffs Advisory Panel (BPTAP) singled at least 36 specialised treatments that Kenyans ought to seek abroad.
According to Duale, the services are not available due to, among other reasons, lack of transplant materials, equipment and specialised personnel to offer them.
The unavailable services include Wrist joint arthroplasty, Metacarpal joint arthroplasty, Ankle joint arthroplasty, Allogeneic bone marrow/peripheral blood stem cell transplant, Trans jugular Intrahepatic Portosystemic Shunt and Yttrium-90 (Y-90) radio- embolization.
Others are surgical management of birth-related brachial plexus injuries, Photopheresis (ECP Extracorporeal Photopheresis), Nerve Ablation Therapy, Neural Regenerative Therapy and Proton Therapy.
To address the question of such specialised treatment, Duale announced a mechanism developed through SHA to facilitate patients to seek treatment abroad.
However, the referrals would be subjected to a review before the government expends money on them.
"Referrals for overseas treatment will be subject to a peer review mechanism by the Claims Management Office to ensure medical necessity. The treatment sought must also fall within the financial limits of the benefits package and must not be an unproven, experimental, or unconventional therapy," he said.
Kenyans' whose cases are approved would be entitled up to Ksh500,000 of government support. A short fall would be covered by the patient.
"This new framework guarantees a transparent, evidence-based, and accountable system for Kenyans seeking treatment abroad, ensuring value for money and quality care," he added.
