The Ministry of Health has clarified that specimen sharing was not part of the Kenya-US health deal.
Speaking on Monday, December 8, Medical Services Principal Secretary Ouma Oluga said the US wanted the specimen sharing agreement in the deal, but Kenya declined.
“We did not negotiate a specimen sharing agreement. This is something that they really wanted, but we said wait a minute, we will not do it,” Oluga stated.
However, the Medical Services PS noted that Kenya will continue testing specimens in collaboration with the US at the existing US institutions in the country.
“We have Walter Reed in Kericho, CDC in Kisumu, and another in Kilifi, so what we agreed on so that they continue to operate otherwise they would close down is that we will continue specimens together because they are already here and we are already working together,” Oluga added.
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Kenya and the US on Thursday, December 4, 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).
Following the signing of the agreement, Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale assured Kenyans that their health data will be protected.
In a statement, CS Duale noted that health data is a national strategic asset and all data sharing must follow Kenyan laws in the new US-Kenya health deal.
“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.
