Contraceptive stock out expose Sh2.8 billion family planning gap

Concept with Oral contraceptive, Emergency Pills, Injection Contraceptive and Male Condom. [iStockphoto]

Thousands of women are dropping out of family planning after hospitals ran out of contraceptives, exposing a funding crisis that health officials have failed to address.

Kenya requires about Sh2.8 billion every year to keep its family planning programme running, yet only Sh500 million was allocated in the 2025/26 financial year.

Only half of the allocation was released, leading to a current stock out crisis.

Currently, at least nine essential contraceptives are out of stock nationally, with the shortages persisting since July.

Among contraceptives out of stock include DMPA -IM, injectables, combined oral contraceptive pills, emergency contraceptive pills, progestin-only pills, DMPA-SC, implants and CycleBeads.

The shortages have already been linked to a drop in the number of women using family planning, with 662,004 fewer women reported to have used the services between 2024 and 2025.

A leaked Family Planning Commodity Security report warns that the crisis could lead to more unintended pregnancies, unsafe abortions and a reversal of gains made in family planning.

The report, which The Standard has a copy of, warns that the shortages could disrupt family planning services and undermine confidence in public health facilities.

“Stock-outs compromise informed choice, disrupt continuity of contraceptive use, increase the risk of unintended pregnancies, and undermine confidence in public health facilities,” reads a section of the report.

The contraceptives have been out of stock for most of the year.

This has seen the number of women receiving family planning drop, according to the leaked document.

For instance, data from the Kenya Health Information System shows that an estimated 5,842,824 women used family planning in 2023.

The number rose to 6,611,702 in 2024 before dropping to 5,949,698 in 2025.

This represents 662,004 fewer women using family planning between 2024 and 2025.

“Sadly, between 2024 and 2025, 662,006 women were reported to have stopped using family planning. This may be attributed to the stock-out in the health facilities,” adds the report.

The drop comes as more women are unable to access contraception.

Amid disruptions of family planning, Track20 data shows that the proportion of women with an unmet need for contraception increased from 14 per cent in 2022 to 14.2 per cent in 2025.

Although the increase appears small, the report says it represents about 27,400 additional women who cannot access contraceptive methods.

The situation comes despite progress in family planning uptake.

In 2025, family planning rates stood at 58.4 percent, with modern contraceptive use estimated to have averted 2.48 million unintended pregnancies in the same year,

Contraceptive use also prevented an estimated 669,000 unsafe abortions and 7,300 maternal deaths.

The report, however, warns that progress on key family planning indicators remains low, threatening efforts to meet Sustainable Development Goal targets and commitments under FP2030.

According to the report, the stock out is linked to inadequate funding to procure the commodities, with a financial crisis reported to worsen in the past five years.

Kenya has heavily depended on donor support to run family planning program since independence.

Donors who have funded the program include USAID, Gates Foundation and UNFPA.

But USAID and the Gates Foundation withdrew support, while other partners scaled down their funding.

At the moment, an estimate of Sh3.82 billion is needed to procure commodities and support the supply chain in the 2026/27 financial year.

The amount rises to Sh3.89 billion in 2027/28 and Sh3.96 billion in 2028/29.

In total, about Sh11.67 billion is required over the three years.

“To adequately meet national demand, Kenya requires substantial but achievable investment in family planning commodities and associated supply chain systems. The estimated requirement for commodity procurement and supply chain costs is approximately Sh3.82 billion in FY 2026/27, increasing to Sh3.89 billion in FY 2027/28 and Sh3.96 billion in FY 2028/29,” notes the leaked report.

Government allocations, however, remained inconsistent.

Last month, Director-General of Health Dr Patrick Amoth said during a media roundtable engagement that Sh500 million had been disbursed to KEMSA to procure the commodities.

Nevertheless, questions arise on whether the Sh500 million disbursed shall procure new stock of contraceptives, or will pay cumulated debt, of Sh600 million, running from 2022.

The debt is owed to Kenya Medical Supplies Authority (KEMSA), UNFPA and BAYER, at Sh325,650,870, Sh3,710,840 and Sh284,000,000, respectively.

“Despite having a strong supply chain system anchored in KEMSA, the program is facing significant risk of supply chain disruptions due to non-payment of debts to KEMSA, BAYER, and UNFPA (matching funds based on the signed GoK/UNFPA Compact),” reads the ministry documentation.

Independent investigations by The Standard revealed hospitals are still reporting stock-outs.

The decline in funding has depleted buffer stocks.

By July 2026, stocks had fallen below the 22-month threshold.

At the central stores, only hormonal and non-hormonal intrauterine contraceptive devices, as well as female and male condoms, were available.

According to the documentation, only four commodities are in the process of being procured by UNFPA, namely emergency pills, male condoms, and long-acting birth control (implant 1 rod and implant 2rod).

Contacted by The Standard yesterday, Amoth referred the matter to Principal Secretary for Medical Services Dr Ouma Oluga, saying he was the accounting officer.

But according to an insider, Amoth, as the technical head of the Ministry of Health, should explain why at action has been taken to end the shortages and prevent more women from dropping out of family planning.

He should also explain whether the Sh500 million will be used to buy new contraceptives or settle part of the accumulated debt to suppliers.

“It is escapism. We have a crisis because technical people are not giving advice,” said an insider.

“Women are dying of unsafe abortions, simply because they conceived unwanted pregnancies. Only elites can afford contraceptives,” added the insider.

Contacted, Oluga did not respond to questions on the shortages, debts or when supplies would be restored.

Earlier, when approached by BAYER over the accumulated debt, Oluga is alleged to have dismissed the matter, saying he was not the office holder when the debts accumulated.

BAYER is one of the companies that have supplied contraceptives to the Kenyan Government.

The company is owed Sh288 million, dating back to 2022.

Dr Isaak Bashir, the Director of Family Health responsible for family planning, also did not respond.

Amid depleted contraceptive stocks, experts have highlighted the need to invest in the family planning programme.

They note that this would help avert the high burden and cost of unsafe abortions and unintended pregnancies.

A 2023 study by the Ministry of Health, African Population and Health Research Center (APHRC) and Guttmacher Institute estimated approximately 2.85 million pregnancies in Kenya.

Of these, 792,694 ended in induced abortions.

The study found that 12 per cent were linked to inadequate access to, or non-use of, contraception.

At the time of the study, many hospitals were not adequately prepared to provide basic post-abortion care.

About 82 per cent of primary health facilities and 51 per cent of referral facilities were unable to provide basic services.

The cost of treatment also varied depending on the severity of complications.

In 2018, the average cost of post-abortion treatment stood at Sh4,943.

“The cost of abortion ranged from Sh3,264 for mild complications to Sh9,133 for severe complications,” adds the report.

Kenya has an estimated 14.8 million women of reproductive age, between 15 and 49 years, according to projections from the 2019 Kenya Population and Housing Census.

The annual cost of post-abortion care is estimated at Sh3.9 billion.

“Expanding access to family planning commodities therefore provides a cost-effective strategy for preventing unintended pregnancies and reducing costly post-abortion care,” it says.

The report also links closely spaced pregnancies to higher risks of maternal complications, premature births, low birth weight, newborn deaths and childhood malnutrition.

Maternal mortality remains high, at an estimated 355 deaths per 100,000 live births.

The report warns that continued stock-outs could reverse gains made over the past two decades

It says the country can no longer rely heavily on donor funding to keep family planning commodities available.

“Reliance on external financing is no longer sustainable,” the report says.

The ministry report calls for increased and timely government financing to ensure continuous access to contraceptives and protect gains made in family planning.

The family planning programme proposed an investment of Sh11.67 billion over the three years to strengthen commodity supplies, improve the supply chain and support progress towards Universal Health Coverage and FP2030 commitments.