Africa-Press – Kenya. President William Ruto has announced his administration will employ 103,000 community health workers. In a statement, the head of state said the new employee health promoter will be kitted with modern medical equipment and deployed in communities across Kenya.
“The United States Agency for International Development will help train the workers,” he said.
Ruto also said USAID has an initiative through the M-Mama, an innovative mobile app ambulance service that provides services for pregnant women and new mothers when in distress.
“Kenya and USAID have a robust partnership across many sectors and particularly in healthcare,” he said.
The President spoke when he met USAID Administrator Samantha Power at State House, Nairobi. Health Cabinet Secretary Susan Nakhumicha and US Ambassador to Kenya Meg Whitman were also present.
In April, the national government and county governments agreed to jointly support community health workers in recognition of the critical role they play in advancing Universal Health Coverage.
Ruto said the community health workers, who will now be known as community health promoters, will be co-sponsored by the two levels of government even as health remains a devolved function.
“We have agreed with the county governments that we need to standardise the remuneration of these community health promoters and we need also to standardise the kits that will be made available for them to use in the service that they will be undertaking in every village,” Ruto said.
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