Health CS Aden Duale speaking at a past event / FILE


The Social Health Authority (SHA) has announced that PET scan services are now available under its cover, in a move aimed at improving access to advanced cancer diagnostics for patients across Kenya.

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In a notice on Wednesday, the authority said the inclusion of Positron Emission Tomography (PET) scans under SHA benefits is expected to ease the financial burden on patients who previously had to pay out of pocket for the specialised imaging service.

According to the notice, patients can access the covered PET scan services at several accredited facilities.

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These include Cancer Care Kenya, Kenyatta University Teaching, Referral and Research Hospital (KUTRRH), Nairobi West Hospital, RFH Specialist Hospital, Aga Khan University Hospital, and Ultra Diagnostic Centre Limited.

The expanded coverage is part of ongoing reforms under SHA to enhance access to specialised healthcare and strengthen early detection and management of cancer.

PET scans are advanced imaging tests that help doctors detect cancer, monitor treatment progress and assess the spread of disease within the body.

Health experts say wider access to the technology could significantly improve timely diagnosis and treatment outcomes for cancer patients.

The authority urged eligible members to seek services at the listed facilities or contact SHA through its toll-free line 147 or the website www.sha.go.ke for more information.

As of February 13, Kenya collected Sh142 billion in premiums under SHA and enrolled 29.4 million citizens, Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale announced, signalling major progress in the country’s push toward Universal Health Coverage (UHC).

Duale said the new health financing system is rapidly expanding access to services while strengthening accountability across the sector.

According to the update, Sh102.3 billion has already been disbursed to health facilities for services provided to patients, a move the Ministry of Health says has improved cash flow and service delivery in public, faith-based and private institutions.

“Kenya is making steady and measurable progress toward Universal Health Coverage. The transition from NHIF to SHA is delivering results in terms of enrolment, collections and service access,” Duale said.

The 29.4 million registrations represented a sharp rise from the seven million Kenyans who were previously covered under the now-defunct National Hospital Insurance Fund (NHIF).

Of those enrolled, more than 8 million Kenyans have already accessed primary healthcare services, while over 3.2 million have benefited from services under the Social Health Insurance Fund component.

A total of 10,277 health facilities are currently transacting under SHA, including 5,672 county facilities, 533 faith-based institutions and 4,072 private providers.

County governments emerged as the largest beneficiaries of SHA payments, receiving about 57 per cent of primary healthcare disbursements, followed by private facilities at 36 per cent and faith-based organisations.

Nairobi recorded the highest primary healthcare payments, followed by Kiambu, Mombasa, Kakamega and Bungoma, reflecting both population size and service utilisation patterns.