NAIROBI, Kenya – Kenya has pledged to increase its financial contribution to the World Health Organization (WHO) by 20pc over the next four years, joining global efforts to stabilize the agency’s budget following a deepening funding crisis triggered by the United States’ foreign aid freeze.
Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale made the announcement during the 78th World Health Assembly in Geneva, where global health leaders gathered to confront rising challenges in funding, disease surveillance, and emergency response.
“Kenya supports the proposal to increase assessed contributions to 20pc,” said Duale. “Sustainable financing is critical if the WHO is to deliver on its mandate.”
The pledge comes as WHO struggles to plug a widening deficit after the dismantling of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) earlier this year.
The abrupt decision by the Trump administration to halt U.S. foreign aid in February created a $600 million shortfall for the health agency, forcing it to slash emergency response budgets and threatening HIV treatment programs in at least eight countries—including Kenya.
Kenya’s own Ministry of Health has reported that multiple lifesaving programs reliant on USAID support are at risk.
Officials estimate that at least Ksh. 5 billion will be needed within three months, with an additional Ksh. 13 billion required in the next financial year to sustain HIV mitigation efforts.
“In 12 countries, over 2,600 facilities have been affected,” WHO said in a March statement. “In Kenya alone, critical access to HIV medication is being disrupted.”
The WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus welcomed Kenya’s renewed commitment, calling it “a clear sign that multilateralism is alive and well.”
Duale, in his remarks, framed the funding increase as part of Kenya’s broader national health strategy.
“Our national development agenda is anchored in achieving Universal Health Coverage (UHC). We are strengthening our systems, investing in digital health, and driving data-informed policy through the Bottom-Up Economic Transformation Agenda,” he said.
The Geneva assembly is also the launchpad for WHO’s new four-year funding drive—known as the 14th General Programme of Work—set to run from 2025 to 2028.
Member states have approved a modest budget boost, adding $90 million annually in a bid to shift WHO toward more predictable and self-reliant financing.
WHO’s revised budget includes deep cuts to emergency operations, with the 2026–2027 target reduced from $1.2 billion to $872 million.
Still, Duale struck an optimistic tone, underscoring Kenya’s readiness to step up at a moment of global uncertainty.
“This is a time for solidarity and responsibility,” he said. “We are committed to supporting WHO and safeguarding the health of our people.”
