NAIROBI, Kenya, Feb 26 – Health Cabinet Secretary Deborah Barasa has announced that the Ministry is seeking Sh33.5 billion in emergency funding from the National Treasury to sustain critical health programs following the recent decision by the United States government to freeze foreign aid.Appearing before the Senate plenary on Wednesday, Barasa revealed that the directive issued by US President Donald Trump has far-reaching consequences for the health sector.“To mitigate the impact of the funding withdrawal, the Ministry has requested an emergency allocation of Sh33.5 billion to bridge the gap and sustain critical health programs,” Barasa stated.She warned that several essential health programs—including HIV/AIDS treatment, malaria prevention, vaccines and immunization, nutrition, and family planning—are at risk due to the sudden withdrawal of US funding.“This abrupt shift in financial support has disrupted essential services and ongoing initiatives, placing immense strain on our healthcare system, particularly in areas that heavily rely on official aid,” she told Senators.The Health CS revealed that the Ministry has initiated high-level diplomatic engagements with the US government to discuss possible waivers for affected essential health services.Barasa urged the Senate to support budget allocations at both national and county levels to ensure continued provision of critical health services.“It is important for the Senate to consider a worst-case scenario and support the Ministry in closing budget gaps through resource allocation for affected programs,” she said.“The Ministry is also prioritizing the reallocation of domestic resources to sustain critical programs, including HIV, malaria, and family planning, as outlined in the 2025/26 Budget Policy Statement,” the CS told Senators.Barasa assured the Senate that the government is engaging with development partners to explore alternative funding sources while reallocating domestic resources to bridge the shortfall. She emphasized the need for a swift response from the National Treasury to prevent service disruptions.The US government has historically been one of Kenya’s largest donors in the health sector, providing billions of shillings annually to support various programs.The funding freeze is expected to severely impact the supply of antiretroviral (ARV) drugs and immunization vaccines, both instrumental in combating infectious diseases.