Principal Secretary for Medical Services, Dr. Ouma Oluga, joined a high-level panel hosted by the Community Health Impact Coalition on “Primary Healthcare: The Case for Professional Community Health Workers” at Hearst Towers, New York, during the United Nations General Assembly.
Representing Health Cabinet Secretary Hon. Aden Duale, Dr. Oluga affirmed that community health is the backbone of Kenya’s Universal Health Coverage (UHC) reforms. He highlighted the professionalisation of 107,000 Community Health Promoters (CHPs) who are now salaried, trained, and digitally equipped. Their impact is already evident: 70% of households registered, 38 million diabetes and 25 million hypertension screenings completed, and 1.5 million cases referred for care.
He urged global partners to follow Kenya’s example, stressing that professional CHPs reduce costs, reach underserved communities, and strengthen resilience. “Large-scale social change is a team sport,” he said. “Together, we can power primary healthcare from the community upwards.”
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Ministry of Health, Kenya.