This archive report was first published on 24 July 2021.
Kenya's fight against Covid-19 has come at a steep price, with the country's imports of chemicals reaching a record Sh36.2 billion in March 2021, a 62.7 per cent increase from the same period in 2020.
According to data from the Central Bank of Kenya, the surge in chemical imports was largely driven by the need for Covid-19 vaccines, laboratory reagents, and sanitizers.
While the country's imports of petroleum products, typically the highest, were outpaced by the chemical imports, the government has increased its efforts to vaccinate the most vulnerable populations in a bid to flatten the Covid-19 curve.
Kenya spends over Sh250 billion annually on importing chemicals, including pharmaceutical products, fertilizers, scented mixtures, ammonia, pesticides, vaccines, cleaning products, and laboratory reagents.
During the January-March period of the 2020-21 financial year, development spending by the Ministry of Health increased by 26 per cent, largely due to higher Covid-related expenditure.
A study by Dr. Edwine Barasa and Dr. Angela Kairu of the Kenya Medical Research Institute found that Covid-19 case management costs in hospitals are substantial, ranging from Sh21,359 per day for asymptomatic patients to Sh51,684 for critical patients in ICU.
They warned that if the costs were passed on to patients, it would result in a catastrophe and impoverishment, emphasizing the need for a sustainable financing arrangement for Covid-19.
Kenya has received funding from development partners to help with the fight against Covid-19, including testing and treatment of the viral disease.
Recently, the World Bank approved $130 million (Sh14 billion) additional financing for the Kenya Covid-19 Health Emergency Response Project to facilitate affordable and equitable access to vaccines.
