
Kenya launched a community health initiative supported by the African Union (AU) geared towards boosting primary health care at the grassroots, targeting under-served populations.
The pivotal programme, under the auspices of the African Union (AU) Member States, is known as Resilient and Empowered African Community Health (REACH) and is geared towards increasing Community Health Workers (CHWs) to over 2 million in the continent by 2029.
Under the first phase of the initiative, over 25,000 CHWs newly recruited in Kenya will be trained on community health and on the use of Community Health Promotion (CHP) kits and Electronic Community Health Information System (ECHIS) to strengthen monitoring and evaluation.
The Government of Kenya through the Ministry of Health has enlisted over 107,831 CHWs of whom 25,000 will be trained in the first phase, according to the REACH initiative partners.
Launched in October 2022, the REACH initiative is the embodiment of Africa’s resilience and health security, poised to enhance the community health workforce’s ability to deliver evidence-based health interventions. Kenya is among the 12 countries identified for initial support in the first phase of the initiative, signifying an important move towards integrating, institutionalising, and sustaining CHWs within its health system.
“The REACH Initiative is our beacon of hope and aligns seamlessly with the Bottom-Up Economic Transformation Agenda (BETA) and Afya Nyumbani, reinforcing our commitment to achieving Universal Health Coverage (UHC),” stated Health Cabinet Secretary Susan Nakhumicha.
The Health CS said the government is determined to deepen health provision in the villages and communities by strengthening the human capital and skills in partnership with health sector stakeholders.
“Community health workers are instrumental in realising health coverage and health security on our continent. The REACH programme is a testament to our heads of state’s vision, and it stands as a significant step towards the development of a resilient health system,” said, Africa CDC Director General Dr Jean Kasea.
“The REACH Initiative mirrors the Kenya Red Cross Society’s dedication to community health service programming. Our commitment is to provide robust support to the Ministry of Health through direct technical assistance and advocacy, aligning with the national strategic plan for community health services,” said Kenya Red Cross Society Secretary General Dr Ahmed Idris.
“The REACH Initiative, a joint effort between the IFRC, Africa CDC, the Kenya Red Cross, Prudence Foundation and the Kenya Government through the Ministry of Health, aims to enhance Kenya’s healthcare system by empowering communities, expanding the Community Health workforce, and achieving Universal Health Coverage,” said IFRC Head of Delegation, Nairobi Country Cluster for Somalia and Kenya, Mohamed Babiker.
In Kenya, REACH is implemented through a partnership with the Kenya Government through the Health Ministry, Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC), the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) through Kenya Red Cross Society (KRCS).
The initiative has received its initial seed funding from Prudence Foundation, the community investment arm of Prudential plc in Asia and Africa, for the initial start-up of REACH activities in Kenya.
“The Prudence Foundation is dedicated to building resilience within communities against health risks. We are eager to collaborate with IFRC, Africa CDC, and the Ministry of Health to foster improved health outcomes in Kenya by scaling up a strengthened, people-centric, and integrated community health system and workforce,” said Prudential Africa Deputy CEO, Nick Holder.