from MARIA MACHARIA in Nairobi, Kenya
Kenya Bureau
NAIROBI, (CAJ News) – THE launch of an electronic community health information system (eCHIS) in Kenya marks a significant step in achieving universal health coverage (UHC).
eCHIS, a mobile application that supports the management of health services, has been rolled out to all 100 000 community health workers across the East African country.
This platform is one of the first of its kind in the continent, specifically due to its nationwide scale, comprehensive coverage of the entire spectrum of healthcare services, as well as its focus on community health.
The nonprofit organisation, Living Goods, has worked closely with the government during the conceptualization, development and pilot of eCHIS.
“We’re delighted with the Kenyan Government’s nationwide launch of the eCHIS platform,” said Thomas Opiyo Onyango, Country Director for Living Goods in Kenya.
He believes the transition signifies a shift from a reactive approach, which primarily involves managing illnesses in healthcare facilities, to a proactive model focused on delivering care to individuals in their local communities, right where they live.
“This innovation promises to greatly enhance the efficiency of Kenya’s community health system, improving healthcare access, particularly in remote areas,” Onyango said.
The eCHIS launch follows the Kenyan government’s recent revamp of the community health programme.
The effort aims to digitise, equip, support and provide salaries for all community health workers, now referred to as community health promoters.
eCHIS addresses a multitude of challenges within the community health system.
Prior to the introduction of eCHIS, the reliance on manual paper-based data systems resulted in poor data quality, limited accountability, misuse of health data, high healthcare delivery costs and inefficient data utilisation for decision-making.
– CAJ News