NAIROBI, Sept. 25 (Xinhua) -- Kenyan President William Ruto on Monday flagged off the distribution of 100,000 kits that will be used by community health promoters across the country.
Ruto said the kits will be essential tools for household screening by the community health promoters who will be at the center of Universal Health Coverage (UHC) under which the government seeks to focus on promotive and preventive health.
He said the health kits contain basic equipment which together with smartphones will enable 100,000 community health promoters to transmit relevant information that is required in the delivery of primary health care.
"Kenyans will now be attended to at their homes by fully trained homegrown community health promoters who shall be supervised by qualified healthcare workers," Ruto said during the launch in Nairobi, the capital of Kenya.
He noted that the use of well-equipped community health promoters will save the East African nation resources used in the treatment of diseases.
According to the Kenya president, about 70 percent of cases at the country's health facilities are due to preventable diseases that can be detected by community health promoters.
Ruto observed that the launch of the health kits is a bold step for Kenya towards achieving freedom from disease.
Susan Nakhumicha, the cabinet secretary in the Ministry of Health, said that Kenya will have 100,000 dedicated community health promoters, who are adequately kitted with the right equipment and knowledge, and who will each be responsible for 100 households.
Nakhumicha noted that the country will only achieve universal healthcare through strengthening primary healthcare and empowering community health promoters.
"The flagging off of Community Health Promoters is the actualization of a cherished vision that resonates with the ideals of Universal Health Coverage," she said.
Nakhumicha revealed that Kenya aims to prevent diseases rather than fight them, which will in turn address the ever-increasing healthcare cost. "This shift from curative care to preventive and promotive care is not only a smart investment but will also guarantee massive healthcare improvements across all the 47 counties," she said.
