NAIROBI, Kenya, Aug 19 -The government will intensify efforts to register all Kenyans under the Social Health Authority (SHA) to ensure universal access to healthcare through the Taifa Care programme, Deputy President Kithure Kindiki has said.Prof. Kindiki said the government is targeting 40 million SHA registrations by the end of the year, up from the 32 million people registered over the past two years.He said the country could achieve universal healthcare coverage, with the government aiming to have every Kenyan registered by August next year.“It appeared impossible four years ago, but now healthcare universality is a possibility. We can smell it. We hope by the end of the year we will reach 40 million people and by next August we will have all Kenyans registered,” the Deputy President said.Prof. Kindiki was speaking on Wednesday while delivering the keynote address on the second day of the Kenya Health Summit at the Kenyatta International Convention Centre (KICC) in Nairobi.President William Ruto opened the two-day summit on Tuesday and held an extensive engagement with health sector stakeholders and beneficiaries that continued late into the night.The Deputy President described Taifa Care as Kenya’s most ambitious and consequential healthcare programme since independence, saying its ultimate objective was to ensure that every Kenyan could access quality and affordable medical services.“Universal Health Coverage is about the health of the people of Kenya. Better quality healthcare for every citizen. We are now around 60 per cent coverage. This is not a small measure compared to other countries,” he said.The government, he added, was consolidating the gains in SHA registration by expanding the country’s healthcare workforce, improving remuneration and equipping health facilities to cope with rising demand.Since 2022, the government has deployed 24,573 healthcare interns across the 47 counties, sponsored 262 medical registrars for specialist training and committed to recruiting an additional 5,000 nurses and midwives.The reforms have also been accompanied by efforts to improve the working conditions and remuneration of healthcare workers, with the government seeking to boost morale and reduce the frequent industrial disputes that have disrupted services in the past.The government has also recruited 107,000 Community Health Promoters (CHPs) jointly with county governments. The CHPs serve as the first point of contact between communities and the formal healthcare system, conducting basic health assessments and guiding patients on appropriate medical care.Prof. Kindiki said the government was replenishing CHP kits while considering ways of improving their monthly stipends.“Our objective is straightforward: a health system that works for the first time, works in every county and works for every Kenyan. That is how we will move from policy pronouncements to programmes, to performance, from investment to value and from the promise of reform to reliable healthcare delivery,” he said.Under the National Equipment Service Programme (NESP), medical equipment worth Sh9.8 billion has been delivered to 239 health facilities across 44 counties, according to the Deputy President.He said the equipment had strengthened the capacity of health facilities to diagnose and treat diseases more effectively.More than 500,000 surgical procedures and 50,000 cancer care services have also been supported through the Social Health Insurance Fund (SHIF) and the Emergency, Chronic and Critical Illness Fund (ECCIF), Prof. Kindiki said.The government is also seeking to improve the availability of medicines and other medical supplies through the Kenya Medical Supplies Agency (KEMSA), which has undergone restructuring since the Kenya Kwanza administration took office in 2022.Prof. Kindiki said the availability of medicines must be matched by stronger regulation to protect patients from unsafe and substandard products.“Availability of medicine must also mean safety and quality. The Pharmacy and Poisons Board must strengthen efficient regulation, post-market surveillance and pharmacovigilance, and act firmly against falsified and substandard products,” he said.The Primary Healthcare Fund, another key component of the government’s Universal Health Coverage strategy, has so far received Sh27.4 billion, of which Sh23.3 billion has been paid to more than 9,300 Level 2 and Level 3 health facilities.The funding has supported more than 20 million outpatient visits involving over 15 million Kenyans, Prof. Kindiki said.He added that Primary Care Networks had expanded from two pilot sites in 2022 to 278 hubs across the country.The Deputy President said the government’s next phase would focus on translating the increased investment and expanded coverage into reliable, quality healthcare services for all Kenyans.