NAIROBI, Kenya – Nearly two-thirds of Kenyans were forced to pay out of pocket for essential medicines between April and May this year, as widespread drug shortages hit public and private health facilities across the country, a new survey shows.
The report by the National Syndemic Diseases Control Council (NSDCC) paints a stark picture of Kenya’s healthcare system following the sudden withdrawal of US funding earlier in the year — a move that has intensified financial pressure on households and disrupted treatment for chronic and infectious diseases.
According to the findings, the average monthly out-of-pocket spending on medicines nearly tripled, rising from Sh420 before the shortages to Sh1,150, pushing many households to the brink.
For thousands of patients, especially those managing lifelong illnesses such as HIV, tuberculosis, hypertension and diabetes, the spike in costs was devastating.
The survey shows that 18 per cent of patients were forced to sell personal assets to pay for treatment, while others delayed or abandoned therapy altogether.
“People living with HIV reported overwhelming fear (92 per cent) of antiretroviral interruption, with 18 per cent resorting to selling assets just to afford their life-saving medication,” the report states.
Many of the affected patients previously relied on free or heavily subsidised drugs, and the abrupt shift to full payment has created deep anxiety about the sustainability of their care.
The supply crisis was equally severe across health facilities. More than 40 per cent of hospitals and clinics reported stockouts of vital medicines and supplies.
Key HIV commodities were among the hardest hit:
- Cotrimoxazole, used to prevent opportunistic infections, was missing in one-third of facilities.
- HIV testing kits were unavailable in 17 per cent of centres, slowing early diagnosis.
- Tuberculosis diagnosis was disrupted in nearly 15 per cent of facilities due to lack of GeneXpert cartridges, raising the risk of undetected transmission.
Essential medicines for hypertension and diabetes also experienced significant gaps, forcing patients to ration doses or skip clinic visits.
Healthcare workers reported struggling to maintain treatment schedules amid the shortages, while households, particularly in counties fully dependent on the Kenya Medical Supplies Authority (KEMSA), faced the harshest effects.
NSDCC warns that the crisis underscores Kenya’s ongoing vulnerability to disruptions in global funding and supply chains, and calls for urgent interventions to stabilise access to essential medicines and protect vulnerable patients from further health and economic shocks.
