Community Health Promoters in Kenya play a vital role in providing healthcare services to communities, but they face numerous challenges in their work. These promoters visit households, identify health concerns, refer patients to health facilities, and support families facing difficult circumstances. However, limited resources and expanding responsibilities can make their work challenging. The SHINE Project, led by LVCT Health, aims to protect the mental health and wellbeing of community health promoters in Nairobi and Kiambu counties.
Community Health Promoters like Rodah Mbuau face practical challenges in their work, including carrying heavy equipment during household visits. The equipment, including weighing scales and blood pressure machines, can be physically demanding to carry. Additionally, promoters must meet some operational costs themselves, such as buying batteries for blood pressure machines. Digital reporting also presents another challenge, as promoters require internet access to record and submit information using the electronic Community Health Information System (eCHIS).
Despite the challenges, community health promoters like Mbuau remain committed to serving their communities. Mbuau says that this work is a passion and cannot be forced on someone. Promoters volunteer their services in good and difficult times because they are part of the community and have a responsibility to support the people they serve. However, commitment alone cannot replace the resources needed to deliver effective healthcare. Promoters must also be able to refer patients when their needs exceed the care they can provide.
Veronica Muthengi, a community health promoter, has learned to recognize the limits of what she can do for households experiencing hardship through the SHINE Project training. The training has helped her understand the importance of setting boundaries and protecting her own mental wellbeing. She has learned that she cannot solve every problem using her personal resources. Muthengi believes that practical changes, such as providing lighter equipment bags and increasing stipends, would make her work easier.
Esther Achieng Okoko, a Community Health Assistant, supervises six community health units and says that promoters are often expected to respond to problems extending beyond their formal health responsibilities. The community believes that the CHP has to take care of everything, from healthcare to social issues. Okoko emphasizes the importance of supportive supervision, particularly when promoters encounter situations they cannot resolve on their own.
The SHINE Project aims to help community health promoters manage work-related stress while strengthening the support they receive from supervisors. Through mental health training, self-care, peer support, and supportive supervision, the project aims to protect the mental health and wellbeing of community health promoters. Judith Adhiambo, from the Nairobi County Mental Health and Psychosocial Support Unit, notes that the responsibilities of community health promoters have expanded as their role in primary healthcare develops.
Community health promoters require adequate resources and better working conditions to deliver effective healthcare services. They need lighter equipment, increased stipends, and support to meet operational costs. The Kenyan government has pledged to enhance the welfare of community health promoters, including providing better resources and working conditions. The SHINE Project's efforts to strengthen mental health support for community health promoters are crucial in ensuring that they can continue to provide essential healthcare services to communities.
Key points
- The SHINE Project aims to protect the mental health and wellbeing of community health promoters in Nairobi and Kiambu counties through mental health training, self-care, peer support, and supportive supervision.
- Community health promoters face practical challenges, including carrying heavy equipment and meeting operational costs, which can affect their mental health and wellbeing.
- The Kenyan government has pledged to enhance the welfare of community health promoters, including providing better resources and working conditions.
