Family planning financing: tracking domestic family planning budget allocations at national and sub-national level in Kenya and Uganda

Background: The Abuja Declaration committed African Union countries to allocate at least 15% of their budget to improving the health sector. Consequently, Deutsche Stiftung Weltbevoelkerung (DSW) has been undertaking annual budget studies in Kenya and Uganda to track financial allocation for health and family planning (FP). Methods: This study, carried out between the months of May and October 2017, involved budget analysis of general health and FP funding at national and sub-national level. The study covered the fiscal year 2017/18. However, for comparison purposes, fiscal years 2015/16 and 2016/17 were included in the analysis. Results: In Uganda, during the 2017/18 fiscal year, the government allocated 0.73% ($3.7 million) of its health sector budget ($506.7 million) to FP; of which 98.8% ($3.6 million) was allocated to National Medical Stores (NMS), mainly for the supply of reproductive health commodities. Analysis of four districts shows that only 0.5% ($7,966), 0.8% ($10,046), 0.9% ($9,663) and 1.9% ($35,395) of the health sector budget was allocated to FP in Kamuli, Mityana, Mukono and Tororo, respectively, during the 2017/18 fiscal year. In Kenya, the FP budget allocation at the national level reduced from $6.05 million in 2015/16 to $2.93 million in 2017/18. At the subnational level, there were combined increases in the estimated sub-national FP budget allocations in all eleven counties of 21.8% ($2.1 million), from $9.6 million (2016/17) to $11.7 million (2017/2018). Conclusions: The findings indicate an overall increase in FP allocations over the last three years in the two countries of study. Advocacy personnel should be enlightened on the budget making process, as it provides an excellent platform for advocating for budgetary increases.