Nakuru
Friday June 7, 2024
KNA by Esther Mwangi
At least 200 members of community health committees from Nakuru County have been trained to enhance service delivery.
The Ministry of Health and the World Vision Kenya in partnership with Governor Susan Kihika’s administration, rolled out the training program whose study areas included maternal and child health, data collection methods and techniques and prevention and management of infectious diseases.
According to the Deputy Community Health Strategy Focal Person Wilfred Wacira, capacity building of members of the community health committees from all the 11 Sub Counties is crucial since they are a critical human resource component in healthcare management at grassroots level.
“They (members of the community health committees) play an important role when it comes to improvement of community health and well-being by providing important links to primary healthcare services as well as delivery of basic health prevention and promotion services,” said Wacira.
He said that the training also covered vital topics, including management of the County funds and implementation of the annual work plans, the concept of Health and Development and its influencing factors, social responsibility, community scorecards, resource mobilization, leadership and governance, conflict management and resolution, and proposal writing, among others.
The community health committee members are in turn expected to pass over knowledge and skills acquired during the training to community health volunteers operating in their respective sub-counties.
Wacira noted that the initiative is designed to enhance the effectiveness of Community Health Promoters by linking their work to various health facilities.
This he added will ensure a seamless integration of community health efforts with formal healthcare systems, ultimately improving health outcomes for Nakuru residents.
He thanked the National Government and World Vision Kenya for the partnership and support.
As the country gears up to achieve Universal Health Coverage, Wacira said community health volunteers play a key role in the programme hence the need to entrench them in proper training initiatives.
“We shall continue working with our development partners and the other stakeholders to ensure that the health volunteers are well equipped with adequate skills to do their work effectively,” he pledged. In July 2020, the Ministry of Health launched the Kenya Community Health Policy 2020–2030.
Its goal is to empower individuals, families and communities to attain the highest possible standard of health by focusing on strengthening community health services.
Wacira added that the health workers were also being enlightened on how to detect or avoid human rights violations when delivering health services to the community and to ensure equitable health coverage.
“We have offered training on the unique needs of vulnerable and key populations, for instance, people living with HIV and the expectant mothers. It is important for the health workers to understand their experiences and how to deal with these people with courtesy,” he said.
He observed it was critical, to train community health workers on how to reduce stigma and discrimination of patients with terminal illness and to ensure that health-care providers observed medical ethics in line with their duties.
“They have also been made aware of their rights and how to protect themselves while making their workplace environments safe,” he said.
In a bid to accelerate attainment of Universal Health Coverage, the government has deployed 107,831 Community Health Promoters (CHPs) across 47 counties to provide preventive and promotive healthcare at the household level.
Recognizing the importance of continuous training, the State Department for Public Health and Professional Standards, in partnership with the Global Fund and Amref Health Africa in Kenya, has launched a nationwide training program for CHPs.
This program has been thoroughly reviewed and redesigned to address emerging health issues and specific counties’ challenges.
The training will equip CHPs with essential knowledge and skills, ensuring they meet occupational standards and receive accreditation to effectively deliver basic healthcare services.
Courtesy; KNA
