President William Ruto, on Wednesday, June 21, struck a deal with the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) to train over 103,000 Community Health Promoters (CHPs) in Kenya.
The training will be funded through a collaborative partnership by USAID through its Kenya Health Sector Support Program (KHSSP).
Community Health Promoters (CHPs) will be trained in various health-related topics, including communicable and non-communicable diseases, maternal and child health and nutrition.
"Preventive healthcare saves lives and resources. We will hire 103,000 community health promoters who will be kitted with modern medical equipment and deployed in communities across Kenya.
"The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) will help train the workers," President Ruto stated during a meeting with senior US government officials at State House, Nairobi.
Other areas that will be covered include sexual and reproductive health and HIV/AIDS care among people living in remote villages and settlements.
The training will be delivered through classroom instruction, hands-on training, and mentorship, with CHPs provided with toolkits and other resources to facilitate their roles.
USAID and Kenya aim to improve the health of Kenyans by increasing access to quality health care. The CHPs will, therefore, play a key role in this effort by providing preventive care, screening for diseases, and linking patients to treatment services.
Ruto explained that the training is a significant development in Kenya's health sector as it will strengthen its system and improve residents' health.
The Head of State also lauded the USAID for its innovative ideas, especially, in tackling health challenges in the rural parts of the country.
"Kenya commends USAID for M-Mama, an innovative mobile app ambulance service that pregnant women and new mothers can call when distressed.
"Kenya and USAID have a robust partnership across many sectors and particularly in healthcare," Ruto added as he celebrated the American agency under the leadership of its administrator, Samantha Power.
M-Mama is a joint initiative of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), the Vodafone Foundation, and the governments of Kenya, Tanzania and Lesotho.
Community Health Promoters will also be trained to leverage the innovation, an affordable emergency transport service connecting mothers and newborns to vital life-saving healthcare in rural areas of Kenya, Tanzania and Lesotho.
The service provides a toll-free number that women can call when experiencing a maternal emergency. A health worker will then record their information and dispatch a taxi to rush them to the nearest hospital. The driver is paid upon delivery of the patient to the health centre.
M-Mama has proven to be effective in reducing maternal mortality. It is estimated to have saved 300 lives and reduced maternal mortality by nearly 30 per cent. The service is also credited with improving the quality of maternal care in rural areas.
