By Lorraine Anyango

 The challenge of inadequate healthcare access within communities can be addressed through the increased distribution of digital devices to Community Health Promoters (CHPs). These devices, equipped with training manuals and refresher courses, can serve as a valuable tool for enhancing CHP knowledge and service delivery.

Beyond improving access, digital devices can also revolutionize data collection and analysis. Real-time data from these devices can inform community disease patterns, predict outbreaks, and inform effective public health interventions.

During the Lake Region Digital Health conference in Kisumu, panelists discussed the potential of digital health innovations to transform healthcare delivery. Amref Health’s Community Manager, Eugene Muchai, highlighted the importance of government adoption and scaling up of such innovations, citing the “Health X” platform as a promising example.

The County Governments can learn from their Leap program, which is already empowering CHPs with the knowledge and tools to address non-communicable diseases. However, a holistic approach is essential to ensure that digital health solutions are inclusive and accessible to all, including people with disabilities.                                                             Leap, the mHealth platform is a is a mobile learning solution for training health care workers including Community Health Workers (CHWs). Leap employs an appropriate mobile learning approach to train and empower health workers using their mobile devices operating from any phone enabling the health workers to learn at their own pace and with their own mobile devices while in the community, providing for both the interpersonal and community aspects of learning.

Panelists agreed that digital devices can significantly improve health outcomes by enhancing access to care and enabling more informed decision-making. By incorporating mapping, research, and AI technology, CHPs can deliver more effective and efficient services to their communities. Panelists Eugene Muchai, Ms Hildah Ngondoki, Dr. Moreen Kimani, Mt Roy Bore, and Mr Gitahi Nganga agreed that digital devices can significantly improve health outcomes by enhancing access to care and enabling more informed decision-making. By incorporating mapping, research, and AI technology, CHPs can deliver more effective and efficient services to their communities.

As Kenya continues to embrace digital health, it is crucial to prioritize the training and support of CHPs to ensure they can fully leverage these technologies to improve the health and well-being of their communities.