County seeks MCAs support in Community Health Services programmes

Turkana

Saturday, August 12, 2023

KNA by Peter Gitonga

Turkana County Assembly Departmental Committee on Health, Budget and Finance members have begun a two-day sensitisation workshop on the importance of Community Health Services (CHS) in Lodwar.

The discussions centered on the value of investing in the Community Health Services programme, and its potential to enhance Universal Health Coverage (UHC).

Director of Public Health, Alfred Emanman, expressed gratitude to the partners for the support, and appreciated the County Assembly for the Amendment of the CHS Act. 2018.

Emanman appealed to the team to engage the community on how to strengthen the delivery of integrated comprehensive and high-quality Community Health Services.

Ag. Director, Community Health Services, Dr Joseph Lolepo, emphasised the need to invest in disease prevention, by enhancing the capacity of Community Health Promoters (CHPs).

"I urge our leaders and partners to provide the necessary support, to ensure sustainable funding for community health, to enhance extension of health services to the community level," Dr Lolepo said.

CHS Coordinator, Jonathan Longiti, underscored the importance of governance structure as well as the need for more Community Health Assistants and Community Health Promoters are motivated, skilled and equitably distributed in the entire County.

Save the Children representative, Festo Wangwele, assured the team of support and recognised County efforts to operationalize the CHS Act.

He expressed optimism that the collaboration would address the existing gaps on Health and Nutrition financing.

County Assembly Health Committee Chair, Bethwel Kobongin urged the CHS team to set their priorities right in the budgeting process and pledged to ensure primary healthcare is effectively delivered.

Also present were Ag. Director for Monitoring and Evaluation Sarah Lokaala, Deputy Director for Family Health Gabriel Lopodo, and County Health Promotion Officer Ruth Areman.

Courtesy ; K. N. A