MEDRAP ELATED WITH INCREASE IN 2023 BUDGET ALLOCATION TO HEALTH SECTOR

THE Medicines Research and Access Platform (MedRAP) has hailed Government for allocating approximately K17 billion in the 2023 national budget to the health sector.

MedRAP National Coordinator Liyoka Liyoka said that the 2023 budget showed a steady increase from the K13 billion allocation in this year’s budget which represents 8.0 percent.

Mr Liyoka described increase budget allocation to the health sector as a step in the right direction of improving the health sector.

He also noted that the country was in the right path of meeting the set target of allocating at least 15 percent of the annual budget to improve the health sector under the Abuja declaration which was signed in April 2001.

“We are happy with next year’s budget which is 10.4 percent of the total budget which shows an increase from the 8.0 percent which was allocated to health sector this year. We have been pushing for increased budget allocation which has been granted but we still need to reach the 15 percent Abuja Declaration target”, Mr Liyoka said.

Mr Liyoka stated that it was also exciting to note that the budget would be spent on drugs & medical supplies, Health infrastructure and medical equipment adding that the attainment of the Universal Health Coverage could be far-fetched if the budget did not finance health.

He said there was need for essential medicines to be available within the context of functioning health systems at all times in adequate amounts, in the appropriate dosage forms, with assured quality, and at a price the individual and the community could afford.