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Monicah Odipo spent her festive season walking door-to-door, encouraging people to register with the Social Health Authority (SHA).
Odipo’s mission is to ensure those in need of healthcare can access it without financial strain or out-of-pocket expenses.
As a Community Health Promoter (CHP), she has successfully registered at least 35 people under the SHA scheme, which she considers a significant milestone. She is a Community Health Promoter in Yala, Siaya County.
“It pains me to see people suffering or dying simply because they cannot afford healthcare. I want to ensure that my community gets the care they need without struggling,” she says.
This registration drive is part of the Ministry of Health’s efforts to mobilise communities for SHA enrolment.
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The new scheme replaced the National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF), and according to the government, it is meant to expand access to healthcare.
In addition to registration, Odipo is reaching out to children who missed childhood immunisation, as well as referring pregnant mothers for Antenatal Clinic visits.
“Being a festive season, mothers have not been taking their newborns to hospitals for immunisation because they were engaged. I am therefore reaching out to have these children immunised,” she reveals.
Siaya, being a malaria-endemic county, Odipo and other CHPs have been distributing mosquito nets and conducting health talks to households on the prevention of the deadly disease.
Despite her dedication to improving health among households, Odipo and other CHPs across the country have not received their stipends for two months from the national and county governments. The delayed payments have affected her morale and ability to continue providing healthcare services at the household level.
“I was paid for October and September, but not for November and December. There have been delays and arrears before, but this is difficult,” she says.
Odipo, who covers 129 households with a total population of 498 people, hopes the government resolves the payment delays soon.
“We deserve payment. It’s difficult to work under these conditions without even the chance to relax during the holidays,” she laments.
According to set CHP operating structures, payments of the promoters is a shared responsibility between the national government and counties on a 50-50 basis. Each pays Sh2,500 to the promoters, bringing it to Sh5,000 monthly stipend.
Principal Secretary for Public Health Mary Muthoni, acknowledged delays in the payments.
In an interview with The Standard, Muthoni said the Treasury had released Sh600 million to settle the outstanding stipends, as well as for January next year.
“We will pay all CHPs by the end of the year. All the CHPs will and must be paid by December 31, plus all their arrears,” said Muthoni.
Muthoni attributed the delay to a data verification exercise, which has since been completed.
Additionally, she noted that challenges within the government’s payment system contributed to the delayed disbursement of funds into the promoters’ accounts.
The said CHPs are a critical resource in healthcare.
“CHP programme is really helping people at grass-root in revamping healthcare. Some people never knew they are sick, but through CHPs, they have been able to be referred to hospital for diagnosis and treatment” she said.
The 107,831 promoters were officially flagged off by President William Ruto in October 2023, with each overseeing 100 households.
The CHPs are equipped with CHP kits that consist of basic screening equipment and tools like thermometers, glucometers, mid-upper arm circumference for nutrition tests, a first aid kit, a weighing scale, painkillers and malaria testing tools.
They also have a smartphone to help key in data.
The promoters carry out basic tests for diseases like malaria, diabetes, and hypertension and refer individuals to hospitals for diagnosis and treatment.
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