Kenya's Social Protection Policy: Enhancing Lives & Welfare

1. SOCIAL PROTECTION FOR A FAIR AND INCLUSIVE GOVERNMENT International Multi –Stakeholder Consultative Meeting on National HIV and AIDS Programs for enhancing effectiveness, efficiency and Social Protection sustainability Dr. James W. Nyikal, CBS Permanent Secretary MGCSD

2. Social Protection Policy – What does it mean for Kenya?

3. Definition for Social Protection for Kenya • Policies and actions, including legislative measures, that enhance the capacity of and opportunities for the poor and vulnerable to improve and sustain their lives, livelihoods, and welfare, that enable income-earners and their dependants to maintain a reasonable level of income through decent work, and that ensure access to affordable healthcare, social security, and social assistance.

4. Overview of Social Protection Policy • Different definitions indicate that Social Protection (SP) is about: • Poorest and most vulnerable in society • Protection against risks • Protection against shocks • Increasing capacity of people to overcome poverty

5. Objective of Social Protection Policy • The objective of the SP policy is to enhance coordination of programs being implemented by stakeholders. This will strengthen the delivery and impact of social protection interventions

6. Components of Social Protection Policy • SP policy identifies three main components: • Social Assistance, includes public actions that are designed to transfer resources to deprived groups (either cash or in-kind, are transferred to the poor and vulnerable) • Social Insurance, mitigates risks associated with employment, injuries, old age - mainly contributory (based on insurance principles - individuals protect themselves & their households) and efficient operation of labour markets

7. Components Contd.. • Health Insurance –It addresses risks associated with illness particularly catastrophic spending in health. Locally NHIF has been providing inpatient cover for people in formal employment but is now expanding to cover outpatients as well as people in informal employment

8. Broad policy measures • Ensure that all people have requisite financial cushion to enable them maintain decent living standard including access to healthcare during and after active productive ages • Ensure that income security provided through household and child benefits facilitates access to nutrition, education, and healthcare • Ensure income security through social assistance for older persons, people with disabilities, and those in active age groups who are unable to earn sufficient incomes in labour market

9. 2010 Constitution of Kenya • The Constitution of Kenya (2010) contains a comprehensive Bill of Rights. • Article 43 guarantees all Kenyans economic, social, and cultural rights. • It asserts the “right for every person…to social security and binds the State to provide appropriate social security to persons who are unable to support themselves and their dependants.”

10. HIV and AIDS in Kenya

11. Magnitude of HIV and AIDS Pandemic • 12 million children have lost one or both parents to HIV in sub-Saharan Africa (UNAIDS/WHO 2008) • By 2010 it was estimated that 1.6 million Kenyans were living with HIV and AIDS • An estimated 19,000 children under age of five years became newly infected with HIV in 2010 • UNICEF survey (2007) and Help Age community-level data (2007) indicate that 40 -50% of children orphaned by AIDS are cared for by older persons • An average of 3 OVC per older care-giver

12. Magnitude Contd.. • Older people are also at risk of infection (some are living with HIV ) • HIV has brought about loss of productive members of household • Depleting household resources due to the demand of care from ailing members of the family

13. Number of people 50+ who are living with HIV? Population and HIV Prevalence Data – Kenya Source: Kenya AIDS Indicator Survey 2007, UN World Population Prospects: The 2008 Revision Population Database

14. How social protection programmes are producing results and achieving targets that avert infections, save lives and exhibit a non- discriminatory enabling environment

15. Available Social Protection Instruments for Kenya • Cash Transfers (conditional /non conditional) • Direct Feeding Programs • Food/ Price Subsidies • School-based Feeding Programs (help keep children in school) • Insurance –Social, Health • Microfinance • Subsidized Agricultural Inputs • Public Works Programs • Waivers and Exemptions • Skills Development

16. Some HIV-Sensitive Social Protection • Financial Security through predictable transfers of cash, food or other transfers for those infected/affected by HIV and AIDS among the most vulnerable • Access to affordable quality services, including treatment, health and education services; • Policies, legislation and regulation to meet the needs and uphold the rights of the most vulnerable and marginalized. • Main livelihood priorities such as food and investment in agricultural, livestock and other small scale income generating activities. AMPATH, through network of vegetable farms enables patients (PLHIV) to regularly access nutritional needs.

17. Impact of cash transfers on households • Evaluations on the OP-CT & OVC programs have shown that cash transferimproves peoples opportunities to achieve a sustainable livelihood and enhances their savings • Cash transfers also facilitates access of the household members to social networks • Growing evidence from the OVC program show that social protection can be extremely effective in reducing child poverty and vulnerabilities • Cash transfer has demonstrated diverse outcomes for children :Increased children’s wellbeing through the reduction of child labour

18. Impact contd. Increased spending on education and health of children Increased household economic security-HIV&AIDS families have been helped to cope with the burden of caring for ill family members and for children whose parents are ill or have died Free essential services access makes a crucial difference for children in the programs Cash transfers have allowed households to make better investments for the future e.g. in education, child nutrition, as well as in production sector

19. Impact contd. • Cash transfers in Kenya have enhanced household purchasing power and savings. The OVC program evaluation shows real household consumption level raised by KES 274 per adult equivalent • The local economy has also been boosted with opening of new small-scale businesses • Evidence shows that there has been an increase in Investments among the beneficiary household (ownership of assets and livestock)

20. Impact contd. • There has been a decline in the percentage of household dependency ration 10% • The OVC evaluation has shown a reduction in poverty levels of the beneficiary households by 13% • The OVC program evaluation shows improved retention and transition of children in school • In the OVC program there has been an increase in food expenditure and dietary diversity by 15%

21. Impact contd. • The proportion of the children fully immunized was reported to have gone up with the implementation of the program – this could be due to the conditionalities given by the program • Reduction in frequent illnesses by the children and other family members was reported • The nutritional status of the children improved within these households- enhancing the children’s chances of performing better in school

22. Social Protection and HIV and AIDS • Social Protection is one of the intervention areas in the Kenya National AIDS Strategic Plan III (KNASP) 2009/10-2012/2013. • Through Pillar III, Community- based HIV programs the KNASP III aims to enhance access by the those infected/affected by HIV and AIDS to social protection services • By incorporation of HIV issues in the Social Protection Policy • By creating awareness on HIV Social Protection interventions among implementing partners and communities

23. Gaps in Implementation of Social Protection • The social assistance programs are inadequate, irregular and lack adequate coordination • There is need for supporting complementary programs (mid term and Long term strategies are essential) • Most programs have funding constraints • The National Hospital Insurance Fund (NHIF) is a contributory scheme and does not cater for majority of the infected.

24. Balancing and combining enabling factors with social protection policy to guarantee effective programme delivery

25. Enabling factors • Enacting of relevant Policies and legislations • Use of appropriate Instruments • Combining several complementary interventions for sustainablity • Provision of basic services and infrastructure • Adequate funding (particularly from domestic sources which is not prone to conditionalities) • Strong leadership and good will • Implementation of HIV/AIDS sensitive social protection interventions

26. Conclusion • Basic social protection is an important poverty reduction instrument • Role of social protection in development policy include; • Redistribution of income to poor and vulnerable (including those affected and infected by HIV) • Enable households to make better investments • Help households manage risks and shocks • Address social exclusion and discrimination

27. Conclusion contd.. • Social cash transfers are effective and efficient in supporting households that are not able to make ends meet; they provide reliable safety net since they • Increase income of the poor • Smoothen consumption and access to nutrition • Protect limited assets in case of income shocks • All household members benefit from increased household resources

28. Conclusion contd.. • Social Protection is therefore contributing greatly towards mitigating the socio-economic impact of HIV/AIDS on beneficiary households

29. THANK YOU