US suspends essential drugs supply to Kemsa

The US has suspended the supply of ARVs and other essential drugs to the Kenya Medical Supplies Authority (Kemsa) as the new directives on foreign aid funding by Washington start to bite.

In a memo, the Mission for Essential Drugs and Supplies (MEDS) informed Kemsa Chief Executive Officer Dr Waqo Ejersa of its decision to suspend the processing of essential drugs funded by the United States.

The firm stated that all the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) funded commodities have been suspended until further notice.

MEDS was contracted by the US in 2020 to supply HIV commodities in Kenya, including ARVs, malaria, and tuberculosis (TB) drugs, among other medical consignments, following the Covid-19 billionaire scandal, which led to a loss of trust in Kemsa by the donor.

The suspension is expected to disrupt the distribution of essential drugs across the country. MEDS's decision follows an executive order by US President Donald Trump, suspending foreign aid to Kenya and 54 other nations.

“We wish to inform you that MEDS has received a notice from USAID Kenya and East Africa on January 26, 2025, directing implementing partners to immediately cease, suspend, or halt any work being performed under contracts, task orders, grants, or other assistance instruments issued by USAID,” reads part of the memo addressed to the Kemsa CEO.

“This directive stems from a presidential executive order on re-evaluating and re-aligning United States foreign aid.”

As a result, MEDS has suspended the processing of orders received from Kemsa for USAID-funded commodities.

“MEDS is required to immediately comply with the stop/suspension of work order. In particular, the notice indicates that USAID will only reimburse legitimate expenses incurred prior to January 24, 2025,” adds the notice.

Kemsa CEO explained that the notice was meant to inform the authority about US action after the issuance of an executive order by Trump.

Dr. Ejersa further stated that MEDS has been distributing ARVs, malaria, and TB drugs, along with other life-saving commodities and accessory services.

However, due to government policies, the US could not supply commodities directly but had to do so through Kemsa, the sole supplier of health commodities in the country.

Under the agreement, PEPFAR and USAID have been using MEDS to manage warehousing and distribution of commodities.

“MEDS was contracted by USAID to do distributions of warehousing and distribution of HIV commodities, including malaria and TB. The stop order was written to Kemsa to inform us about the executive order stopping MEDS from handling US-funded projects until further notice,” explained Dr. Ejersa.

However, Dr. Ejersa said despite the stop order, Kemsa is continuing to supply HIV, malaria, and TB commodities across the country.

He acknowledged that though PEPFAR and USAID play a big role in supporting commodities for malaria, HIV, and TB. Kenya also receives support from the Global Fund, with additional support from the Ministry of Health and the exchequer.

“MEDS has informed us that there may be challenges in the distribution of commodities, but this does not mean supply has stopped. We have an existing consignment that will last for the next six months,” Ejersa said.

He added that the procurement of additional commodities, supported by the Global Fund and the national exchequer, is ongoing.

Donor support, particularly in HIV programmes, has been crucial in ensuring widespread testing through the provision of HIV testing kits. It has also enabled those who test positive to access treatment.

HIV treatment in Kenya has significantly reduced AIDS-related deaths and helped prevent mother-to-child transmission, which now stands at 7 per cent—just 2 per cent shy of the global target of below 5 per cent.

In Kenya, 1,378,457 people are living with HIV, with 1,336,681 currently on treatment, marking a gradual increase from 1.2 million in 2022.

However, there is growing anxiety that the situation could lead to a rise in new infections and AIDS-related deaths.

This concern follows the recent dismissal of personnel managing all Comprehensive Care Centres (CCCs) in hospitals across the country through a memo.

In response, some counties have directed hospitals to integrate HIV services into general outpatient units, including the administration of ARVs.

However, the National Empowerment Network of People Living with HIV/AIDS in Kenya (NEPHAK) Executive Director, Nelson Otwoma, warns that this move could result in increased stigma.

“The Ministry of Health is proposing the integration of services to address staffing shortages after the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) suspended employees managing HIV units. However, this is likely to disrupt treatment due to HIV-related stigma,” said Otwoma.