NAIROBI, Kenya – The Ministry of Health has registered more than 8.5 million households in the Electronic Community Health Information System, marking a key milestone in the country’s push for Universal Health Coverage (UHC).
In a status update on January 10, the ministry reported that 8,525,305 households had been enrolled, representing 68 percent of the national target of 12.5 million.
Of these, 7.2 million households have received routine community health services from Community Health Promoters (CHPs).
Since the launch of the initiative, 106,504 CHPs have been trained, equipped, and provided with stipends to support their work.
These health workers have played a crucial role in early disease detection and health promotion at the community level.
According to the ministry, the CHPs have conducted over 27 million diabetes screenings, referring 325,249 cases for further medical attention.
Additionally, they screened 18.3 million individuals for hypertension, with nearly 700,000 requiring further assessment.
Children under five have been a major focus of the program, with 6.8 million screened for illnesses such as malnutrition, diarrhoea, malaria, and pneumonia.
The CHPs have also identified and provided care to 343,614 pregnant mothers, referring 134,102 of them to health facilities for antenatal services.
To enhance supervision and effectiveness, the government aims to ensure each Community Health Unit has a designated full-time Community Health Assistant (CHA) at a ratio of one CHA per 10 CHPs.
The deployment of CHPs is part of the government’s broader strategy to strengthen preventive and promotive healthcare.
In January, Deputy President Kithure Kindiki announced that 17 million Kenyans are now registered under the UHC program, Taifa Care.
CHPs are also playing a key role in registering citizens under the newly established Social Health Authority (SHA).
In a previous statement, Principal Secretary for Public Health and Professional Standards Mary Muthoni acknowledged the CHPs’ role in expanding healthcare access.
“Our Community Health Promoters are at the heart of this transformative journey. Their work ensures that no one is left behind in accessing the Social Health Insurance Fund,” she said.
