What you need to know about SHA’s foreign treatment cover and the 36 funded procedures
By Cynthia Lodite, June 16, 2026Kenya’s Social Health Authority (SHA) will now cover the cost of treatment in nine foreign hospitals for 36 specific medical conditions – all of which cannot currently be treated locally due to missing equipment, implants, or specialist staff.
The cover is capped at Ksh500,000 per patient per year and is available only to fully paid-up SHA members. The hospitals are spread across Turkey (4), India (3), and Saudi Arabia (2).
According to the Social Health Authority CEO, Dr Mercy Mwangangi, the overseas treatment package, which opened in 2026 April 14, is designed to correct weaknesses that existed under the defunct NHIF, where patients were often referred abroad without proper vetting of hospitals, costs or necessity.
Only 36 procedures -deemed unavailable in Kenya – now qualify for overseas funding. Patients must be referred by a doctor, vetted by regulators, and approved by the SHA before travel.
The authority will cover up to Sh500,000 per patient per year, with patients meeting any additional costs.
Below is the official list of services that can be funded by SHA abroad, as published in the Kenya Gazette in September 2025.
1. Wrist joint arthroplasty
Replacement of a damaged wrist joint with an artificial implant to restore movement, stability and reduce chronic pain.
2. Metacarpal joint arthroplasty
Replacement of small joints in the hand to improve finger movement, function and relieve severe joint damage.
3. Ankle joint arthroplasty
Surgical replacement of the ankle joint to restore mobility and relieve pain caused by arthritis or injury.
4. Whole femoral replacement
Complete replacement of the thigh bone using a large artificial implant, often for severe trauma or bone cancer cases.
5. Proximal femoral replacement
Replacement of the upper part of the thigh bone near the hip to treat tumours or severe bone damage.
6. Distal femoral replacement
Replacement of the lower part of the thigh bone near the knee to restore function after major bone loss or disease.
7. Proximal tibial replacement
Replacement of the upper part of the shin bone to manage bone tumours or complex fractures affecting the knee joint.
8. Allograft use
Use of donated human bone tissue to reconstruct or replace damaged bone during complex surgical procedures.
9. Complex congenital heart surgery requiring ECMO in paediatrics
Highly specialised heart surgery in children supported by machines that temporarily take over heart and lung function.
10. Liver transplant
Surgical replacement of a failing liver with a healthy donor organ to save patients with severe liver disease.
11. Bone marrow transplant
Procedure that replaces damaged bone marrow with healthy cells to treat cancers and blood disorders.
12. Kidney transplant (paediatric)
Transplantation of a kidney into a child to treat advanced kidney failure and restore normal body function.
13. Intrathecal chemotherapy for retinoblastoma
Direct delivery of cancer drugs into the spinal fluid to treat advanced eye cancer in children.
14. Laryngeal transplant
Replacement of the voice box to restore breathing, speech and swallowing functions in severe cases.
15. Intrauterine blood transfusion
Procedure where blood is transfused directly to an unborn baby to treat severe anaemia before birth.
16. Intrauterine shunt placement (bladder obstruction, hydrothorax, cysts)
Insertion of tiny tubes in the womb to drain excess fluid and relieve pressure in the unborn baby.
17. Intrauterine vesicocentesis, thoracentesis, paracentesis
Needle procedures performed in the womb to remove abnormal fluid from the foetus for treatment or diagnosis.
18. Fetoscopy, amniotic band ligation, laser ablation
Minimally invasive surgeries performed inside the womb to correct life-threatening foetal conditions.
19. Amnioreduction, amnioinfusion
Procedures that remove or add amniotic fluid to manage pregnancy complications affecting the baby.
20. Foetal reduction, cord occlusion, cordocentesis
Specialised procedures to manage high-risk multiple pregnancies or diagnose and treat foetal conditions.
21. Advanced endometriosis excision
Complex surgery to remove deeply embedded endometriosis tissue causing severe pain and fertility issues.
22. Sacral neuromodulation for urinary/faecal incontinence
Use of implanted devices to send electrical signals that help control bladder or bowel function.
23. Peptide Receptor Radionuclide Therapy (PRRT) – Lutetium-177
Targeted cancer treatment using radioactive substances that bind to tumour cells and destroy them.
24. DOTA-TATE PET/CT scan
Advanced imaging scan used to detect and monitor specific types of tumours with high precision.
25. Fibroblast Activation Protein Inhibitor (FAPI) PET/CT imaging
Highly specialised scan that detects cancer and fibrotic diseases by targeting specific cellular activity.
26. Microwave ablation of metastatic tumours
Minimally invasive procedure that uses heat generated by microwaves to destroy cancerous tumours.
27. CAR T-cell therapy
Advanced treatment where a patient’s immune cells are genetically modified to identify and attack cancer cells.
28. Bispecific T-cell engagers
Engineered drugs that direct the immune system to attack cancer cells by binding two targets at once.
29. Allogeneic bone marrow/peripheral stem cell transplant
Transplant of blood-forming stem cells from a donor to treat serious blood cancers and disorders.
30. Transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt (TIPS)
Procedure that creates a pathway in the liver to reduce pressure and prevent complications of liver disease.
31. Yttrium-90 (Y-90) radioembolisation
Treatment that delivers radioactive particles directly into liver tumours to shrink or destroy them.
32. Surgical management of birth-related brachial plexus injuries
Surgery to repair nerve damage in newborns affecting arm movement due to birth complications.
33. Photopheresis (Extracorporeal photopheresis)
A blood treatment that uses light-activated drugs to modify immune cells in certain diseases.
34. Nerve ablation therapy
Procedure that destroys specific nerves to relieve chronic pain or control abnormal nerve activity.
35. Neural regenerative therapy
Emerging treatments aimed at repairing or regrowing damaged nerve tissues to restore function.
36. Proton therapy
Highly precise form of radiation therapy that targets tumours while minimising damage to surrounding tissues.