Kenya’s fragile health system is under strain as cuts in foreign aid threaten to undo decades of progress in HIV, malaria, and maternal health. But experts say the crisis could also be a turning point, one that forces the country to build resilience through homegrown innovations.
“The disruptions we are seeing today in medicine stockouts, job losses, stalled programmes are not isolated hiccups. They are systemic symptoms of our dependence on donor funding,” says Dr. Stella Kivila, Director of Health Tech Strategy and Impact at Salient Advisory.
Earlier this year, a freeze in US funding triggered interruptions across Kenya’s health sector. Supplies of antiretroviral drugs dwindled, malaria prevention campaigns slowed, and vaccine distribution faltered. “Hard-won gains are being eroded,” warns Dr. Kivila.
“It’s a wake-up call,” she added in the interview with The Kenyan Wall Street.
Yet she insists the crisis is also an opportunity: “Innovation is not just about gadgets. It is about re-engineering how health systems work so they can withstand future shocks.”
For Dr. Kivila, the push for innovation is deeply personal. In 2015, she lost her father to complications from diabetes and hypertension. “If he had access to today’s digital self-care tools — tracking vitals, remote coaching, early alerts — he might still be alive,” she says.
That experience shifted her career from dispensing medicine to championing technology. “I believe technology is not optional. It’s life-saving.”
Kenya is not short of ideas or talent. Digital platforms such as myDAWA are enabling patients to order medicines from home, while startups like Figorr are using traceability technology to reduce wastage and prevent stockouts. Affordable devices now allow pharmacists to verify drug quality, and drone delivery pilots are extending healthcare to remote areas.
The challenge, according to Dr. Kivila, is scaling them. “We have innovators solving real problems, but they are too small to sit at the same table with big pharma, donors, and government. That’s where coordinated partnerships come in.”
Salient Advisory has tested this approach through its Investing in Innovation programme, which brings governments, innovators, and manufacturers together to strengthen supply chains. In some cases, joint procurement and distribution have cut medicine costs by up to 30%.
From dependence to resilience
By 2030, Kenya hopes to achieve UHC and hit its Sustainable Development Goal (SDG3) targets. Dr. Kivila believes that is possible if the country embraces health-tech innovation and breaks down silos between government, private sector, and innovators.
“This is not about patching donor gaps. It’s about designing a resilient health system that works for Kenyans, powered by local solutions,” she says
She argues that innovation can help address the “three As” of healthcare: affordability, availability, and accessibility. For instance, digitised procurement systems can eliminate middlemen and excessive mark-ups, reducing costs for patients. Real-time data tools can improve transparency, helping ensure medicines reach the last mile.
If embraced, such solutions could accelerate Kenya’s universal health coverage (UHC) agenda while creating jobs in the health-tech sector.
The stakes are high. Without change, aid shocks and budgetary constraints will continue to destabilise the system. With change, Kenya could pioneer a new model for health resilience in Africa. One where innovation, not dependence, saves lives.