Community Health Promoters in Kwale county have received bicycles from African Medical and Research Foundation (AMREF) to ease mobility and reach at the doorstep of remote rural communities.
County Secretary Sylvia Chidodo says a total of 100 bicycles courtesy of AMREF have been issued to Community Health Promoters (CHPs) as a pilot initiative in the coastal county to enable swift mobility of the health workers as they discharge their duties.
Chidodo says the bicycles increase healthcare access in rural communities where lack of efficient and reliable transportation affects socio-economic developments.
CHPs identify potential health issues early enough and keep an eye on them to connect communities with primary healthcare facilities.
The bicycles were issued by AMREF under the World Bicycle Relief Community Health Promoters Motility Program at the County Headquarters in Kwale town.
Chidodo, accompanied by County Health Executive Dr. Francis Gwama says Kwale has 1670 Community Health Promoters (CHPs) divided into 168 Community Health Units (CHUs).
Kwale County Secretary Sylvia Chidodo flagging-off ceremony of the AMREF- World Bicycle Relief Community Health Promoters Motility Program at the County Headquarters in Kwale
She says the bicycles would help the community health promoters tasked with promoting preventive and promotive health at the community level reach many people and increase access to health services.
Chidodo says they are trained members of the community who work as a link between the community and formal health facilities and are responsible for providing basic health services such as health education, disease prevention, and treatment.
Chidodo who expressed her gratitude for the donation said “Health is on our agenda, and we appreciate the support for bicycles to improve access to health. In collaboration with partners from AMREF and World Bicycle Relief, we will seek to have all 1670 CHPs provided with bicycles”, she said.
She went on, “the move is aimed at ensuring that critical healthcare services are taken further down to household levels”.
She says the county under the leadership of area Governor Fatuma Achani has made strides in making sure health services are enhanced at the grassroots level.
Chidodo termed the grassroots health promoters as an essential element of primary healthcare in remote and far flung areas.
“This has been made possible by equipping the CHPs with necessary tools such as medical kit, digital mobile phones for data collection reported in the Afya Nyumbani Dashboard, monthly stipends and bicycles to ease mobility across the county,” she said.
“Our aim is to help the county deliver community services better through the power of bicycles”, said Maureen Kolenyo, the Regional Director of World Bicycle Relief East Africa, during the launch.
Ms. Kalenyo says the World Bicycle Relief East Africa is collaborating with the coastal county so as to achieve overall primary healthcare in all the corners of Kwale thus improving service delivery in the health sector.
Aloise Gikunda, who represented AMREF at the launch lauded the project noting that it was going to improve health and contribute to the county’s development.
Kwale County Secretary Sylvia Chidodo flagging-off ceremony of the AMREF- World Bicycle Relief Community Health Promoters Motility Program at the County Headquarters in Kwale
“AMREF has a new strategy that focuses on Primary Health Care. This strategy aims to support counties and communities in improving the lives of populations, with a particular emphasis on women and young people in collaboration with World Bicycle Relief and Buffalo Bicycles,” Gikunda said.
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