How Kenya Will Deal With Crisis Because Of Trump Stopping USAID
Over the last 40 years, the US government has been supporting treatment that has reached 3.7 million Kenyans with HIV medications, according to the Ministry of Health.
Viral Tea Ke Writer 
Kenya's Ministry of Health announced that the government will be integrating its health programmes. This is part of the stop-gap measures to aid Kenyans who were dependent on USAID to receive treatment.
Health Cabinet Secretary Deborah Barasa placed focus on HIV and TB programmes which were being run as standalone programmes. They were funded by international organisations including the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).
The US government, through the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) and USAID, has been supporting various efforts, including medical research, the treatment of Tuberculosis (TB), HIV, and AIDS, as well as malaria.
Over the last 40 years, the US government has been supporting treatment that has reached 3.7 million Kenyans with HIV medications, according to the Ministry of Health.
US President, Donald Trump. /ASSOCIATED PRESS
Barasa thus reiterated that the programmes would continue despite the shift in the US policy. "Despite shifting global health priorities, the Ministry of Health remains committed to ensuring uninterrupted delivery of essential services, including HIV and TB care," a statement from the Ministry read in part on Wednesday, February 5.
Dr Barasa emphasized that Kenya has the leadership and policy framework to strengthen its health systems and adapt to evolving challenges without panic.
On the other hand, the Ministry is advancing efforts to integrate HIV and TB management into routine healthcare services, moving away from treating them as standalone programs. However, CS Barasa acknowledged that there could be challenges during the integration, adding that the government would be engaging all stakeholders during the process.
"Counties like Murang’a have already made significant progress, demonstrating the feasibility of this approach. However, Dr. Barasa noted that successful integration requires alignment at all levels—from policymakers to frontline health workers," added the statement.
Kenya is among the countries that were worst hit by the pausing of USAID programmes. According to data from the US Embassy in Nairobi, Kenya used to get an average of Ksh64 billion per year for health programmes through USAID and other US department organisations.
"For 45 years, the United States has been helping keep Kenyans healthy – from malaria, HIV/AIDS, COVID-19, and other disease threats with $500 million in health funding each year through USAID, PEPFAR, CDC, DOD, HHS, and FDA, among other government agencies," read the statement in part.
The CS, while addressing the press at Afya House, revealed that the government plans to rely on the new health system, Taifa Care, through the Social Health Authority (SHA) to fill the gaps left by USAID. Additionally, it will seek funding from the exchequer to sustain programs such as research while actively looking for new donors to replace USAID.
“At this juncture, I believe that it is critical for us to think of sustainable solutions and domestic health financing. And part of it is through TAIFA care, and that is through the Social Health Authority, where we will be having funding from the Social Health Insurance to ensure that we are also looking into the concerns of HIV, TB cases, and also patients who have malaria or other forms of support that the US government has been offering,” CS Barasa said.
While the effort to integrate treatment is not new, it has gained fresh momentum following U.S. President Donald Trump’s decision to suspend foreign aid for three months.
Since last year, the government has been exploring ways to merge HIV and TB treatment within hospitals. In July 2024, the Ministry of Health formed a team to develop strategies for incorporating HIV prevention, care, treatment, and support into primary healthcare.
Meanwhile, thousands of employees working on U.S.-funded health projects in Kenya now face the risk of unpaid leave or job losses due to Trump’s aid freeze. Up to 35,000 Kenyan workers associated with the PEPFAR program are facing uncertainty following the directive.
An assessment by the Andelson Office of Public Policy indicates that the affected workforce includes 1,952 doctors and clinical officers, 1,234 nurses and midwives, 578 laboratory professionals, over 340 pharmacists, and more than 24,577 community health workers.
The Andelson Office, a policy division of amfAR—The Foundation for AIDS Research—advocates for global policy reforms related to HIV/AIDS research, prevention, and treatment.
