Community health strategy, Kenya

Principal investigators: Careena Otieno, Charles Wafula, Dan Kaseje, John Alwar and Margaret Kaseje
Research organisation: Tropical Institute of Community Health and Development, Kenya

This formative evaluation grant in Kenya was cancelled.

This formative study assessed the community health strategy targeted at marginalised communities, primarily comprising pastoralists. Currently, the health system in Kenya strives to deliver health services to such communities through a network of community health extension workers at the health post level and through community health workers or volunteers based within the communities. The intervention involved the recruitment and training of locally identified community members to form a cadre of community health assistants (CHAs). The CHAs were given training that is certified and conducted in accordance with the guidelines set by the Ministry of Health. They were also equipped with a basic immunisation kit. The intervention involved systematic engagement for mobilising communities into community units and establishing community-health system linkage committees. The strategy also focused on relaying important information, such as service utilisation and morbidity trends to the community. The study sample consisted of 1,260 households in the counties of Mandera, Garissa, and Kajiado.