MOMBASA, Kenya—Some county governments are yet to honour their financial obligations towards Community Health Promoters (CHPs), Council of Governors Health Committee Chairperson Abdulswamad Shariff Nassir has said.
Nassir said the national and county governments had agreed to share equally the cost of supporting CHPs, with each level of government expected to contribute 50 per cent.
Speaking in Mombasa on Thursday during the first day of the Kenya Association of Muslim Medical Professionals (KAMMP) 8th Annual Scientific Conference, Nassir said the national government had already paid its share for the first six months.
He said counties were expected to meet their financial obligations for the remaining six months, but a few had yet to honour their commitments.
Nassir called on the affected counties to settle the outstanding payments, warning that CHPs remain critical to the delivery of healthcare at the community level.
He said CHPs play a key role in health education, preventive care and linking households with health facilities, making them an important pillar in the implementation of universal health coverage and the Social Health Authority (SHA).
According to Nassir, all community health promoters in the country are now covered under SHA.
“Healthcare can be free at the point of service if we all embrace SHA,” Nassir said, urging Kenyans to participate in the health insurance programme.
He said Mombasa County was demonstrating the possibility of expanding access to healthcare through its “Mwezi wa Baba” initiative, which has seen residents access health services during the month of October.
“Through Mwezi wa Baba, we are demonstrating in Mombasa that universal healthcare is not a distant dream but an achievable reality,” he said.
Nassir said stronger participation in SHA would help create a sustainable healthcare financing system where resources are pooled to ensure people can access medical care without financial hardship.
The governor spoke during a high-level forum on maternal and newborn health held on the opening day of the three-day KAMMP conference at PrideInn Paradise Beach Resort in Mombasa.
The conference is being held under the theme, “Healthy Life Course, Healthy Planet: Advancing Excellence, Ethics & Digital Health for All.”
The official opening ceremony is scheduled for Friday, with Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale expected to preside over the event.
