- Oparanya and SHA are exploring ways to expand healthcare access for cooperative members and their families.
- Talks focus on health fund benefits, registration and public awareness.
- The proposed partnership could help MSMEs access healthcare information and services.
Cooperative societies could become a key channel for expanding access to affordable healthcare in Kenya following fresh talks between Cabinet Secretary for Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) Development Wycliffe Oparanya and Social Health Authority (SHA) Chief Executive Officer Dr Mercy Mwangangi.
The consultative meeting brought together Oparanya, Mwangangi and her senior management team to explore ways of connecting members of the cooperative movement and their families to healthcare benefits under the government’s social health insurance framework.
Discussions centred on improving access to the Primary Healthcare Fund (PHCF), Social Health Insurance Fund (SHIF) and Emergency, Chronic and Critical Illness Fund (ECCIF), while strengthening public awareness, membership registration and capacity building.
The proposed collaboration seeks to use the cooperative movement’s extensive grassroots network to help more Kenyans understand their healthcare entitlements, complete SHA registration and access the services available to them.
The engagement presented an opportunity to connect the cooperative sector’s role in protecting members’ savings and livelihoods with the need to shield households from the financial burden of illness.
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The two sides also explored ways of working together to bring healthcare information and registration services closer to cooperative members, including those who may face challenges navigating the health insurance system.
The partnership is particularly relevant to MSMEs, whose owners and workers may lack the employer-sponsored health insurance arrangements available in some formal workplaces.
Under the Social Health Insurance Act, 2023, SHA administers three funds designed to support different aspects of healthcare. The Primary Healthcare Fund supports essential primary care, the SHIF finances a range of covered medical services, while the ECCIF is intended to provide support for emergencies and specified chronic and critical illnesses.
These arrangements form part of Kenya’s wider push towards Universal Health Coverage (UHC), with the aim of making healthcare more accessible while reducing the risk of families falling into financial hardship because of medical expenses.
Through the proposed cooperation, the Ministry of MSMEs Development and SHA are looking to harness existing cooperative structures to strengthen outreach and help members make better use of available health services.
By Lizzy Aluga
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