Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale has assured Kenyans that their health data will be protected after Kenya and the US signed a Ksh208 billion health cooperation framework.
In a statement on Thursday, December 4, Duale said health data is a national strategic asset and all data sharing must follow Kenyan laws in the new US-Kenya health deal.
The Health CS also said de-identified and aggregated data will be shared with the US government, adding that the Office of the Data Commissioner (ODPC) and the Digital Health Authority (DHA) must give approvals before the data is shared.
“Your health data is a national strategic asset. Under the new US-Kenya Framework, all data sharing follows Kenyan laws. Only de-identified, aggregated data is shared.
“Approvals must go through DHA and the Data Commissioner. The Digital Health Act and the Data Protection Act fully apply. Your privacy. Your security. Our responsibility,” CS Duale stated.
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Kenya and the US on Thursday signed a Ksh208 billion health data agreement in Washington, D.C.
President William Ruto witnessed the signing of the deal by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi.
Under the framework, the US will provide up to Ksh208 billion ($1.6 billion) over the next five years to support priority health programs in Kenya, including HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis (TB), malaria, maternal and child health, polio eradication, disease surveillance, and infectious disease outbreak response and preparedness.
The funding will go directly to key government systems, including the Social Health Authority (SHA), DHA, Kenya Medical Supplies Authority (KEMSA), Integrated Financial Management Information System (IFMIS), Ministry of Health (MoH), and the National Public Health Institute (NPHI).
In a statement after the agreement was signed, President Ruto thanked the US government for choosing Kenya to be the first country to sign the health deal.
“We express our deep appreciation to the Government of the United States, under the leadership of President Donald J. Trump, for choosing Kenya as the first nation to sign such a Framework.
“This decision reflects growing confidence in the strength, sustainability, and reform momentum of our healthcare systems. This partnership builds upon Kenya’s long-standing health cooperation with the United States, an enduring collaboration spanning more than 25 years and backed by over 7 billion dollars in investment,” Ruto stated.
