A new study published in BMC Cost Effectiveness and Resource Allocation sought to explore challenges facing health sector planning and budgeting in Kenya and how they affect immunization service delivery at the county level. Data were collected through 77 in-depth interviews of senior county department of health officials across 15 counties in Kenya. The findings showed a lack of alignment between planning and budgeting processes, with planning being more inclusive compared to budgeting. Limited budget allocations and delayed and untimely disbursement of funds were reported to affect execution of health and immunization budgets. Low prioritization of preventive health interventions like immunization due to their perceived intangibility influenced resource allocation to the programs.
The study highlights the need for effective strategies to align planning and budgeting processes, increased technical support to counties to enhance the requisite capacity, and efforts to improve budget execution to improve budget credibility. Counties should plan to increase their funding commitment toward immunization to ensure sustainability of the program as Kenya transitions from Gavi support.
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