On 09-06-2025 we continued with our role in community work under the Community Based Education and Services (COBES) at Kireme. The event was scheduled to get the Community Health committee members sensitized and capacitated with the requisite knowledge on approaches in handling primary health care issues at level one.
COBES strategy is the holistic approach well aligned with the community strategy.
Community Health Committees (CHCs) are vital for linking communities with healthcare providers, addressing local health concerns, and improving service delivery. They play a key role in identifying and addressing health issues, supporting Community Health Workers (CHWs), and engaging in social accountability. CHCs also act as a bridge between the community and health facilities, facilitating dialogue, feedback, and the mobilization of resources for community health initiatives.
Here’s a more detailed breakdown of their roles
- Community Liaison and Engagement:
- Gather community concerns: CHCs are the primary point of contact for gathering community members’ concerns and requests regarding healthcare.
- Facilitate dialogue:They create spaces for open communication between the community and healthcare providers, allowing for shared decision-making.
- Community mobilization: They mobilize community members to participate in health promotion activities, events, and campaigns.
- Health Issue Identification and Addressing:
- Situation analysis: CHCs conduct situation analyses to identify health problems, vulnerable populations, and barriers to accessing healthcare.
- Problem-solving: They work with CHWs and other stakeholders to develop and implement solutions to address identified health issues.
- Supporting Community Health Workers (CHWs):
- Supervision and support: CHCs may supervise CHWs, review their reports, and provide ongoing support.
- Training and capacity building: They may play a role in organizing and facilitating CHW training programs.
- Social Accountability and Advocacy:
- Raising concerns: CHCs raise issues related to health service performance with relevant authorities.
- Advocacy: They advocate for improvements in healthcare access, quality, and equity.
- Resource Mobilization and Management:
- Fundraising: CHCs may mobilize resources (financial, human, and material) to support community health initiatives.
- Financial management: They may be involved in managing local funds for health-related activities.
- Planning and Implementation of Health Services:
- Work planning: CHCs develop annual work plans that are aligned with local health plans and broader health system objectives.
- Coordination: They coordinate community health activities, including health action days and outreach events.
- In essence, Community Health Committees play a vital role in strengthening community health systems by fostering community participation, improving access to services, and ensuring accountability.
The session was spearheaded by CHPF and North Coast Medical Training College under the leadership Madam Jane Mabuka.Quite a number of issues in terms of challenges being encountered were shared and owe gonna support for the good and wellbeing of the entire community.As per our slogan, we aim at uniting communities towards universal health coverage by 2030.The session was attended by Seven CHCs, the DOH Kilifi represented by PHO Mr Vidos and the CHEW Raechel. Also present was Mama Na Mtoto UK- 1163465 project officer Brian Wafula. - Finally to effectively uphold a community strategy in Kenya, it’s crucial to involve community members in all stages, ensure resources are allocated effectively, and promote sustainable practices. The strategy should be adaptable to local needs and align with national goals, particularly those related to healthcare and development.
