Kitui to Benefit from Afya Halisi Productive Health Plan
By Barrack Muli
Photo: Health CEC Rosaita Ngina with Ruth Odhiambo (in glasses) during the meeting
Kitui County will benefit from the Afya County and National Support Programme (Afya Halisi) 5-year Programme to be carried out in the county. The programme seeks to support the Reproductive Maternal, Newborn, Child & Adolescent Health (RMNCAH) activities in different Sub-counties in Kitui. These include Kitui Central, Kitui South, Kitui East, Mwingi North, Mwingi West and Mwingi Central Sub-counties.
This was revealed on Tuesday, February 22 during the stakeholders meeting held at Parkside Villa between the Ministry of Health officers and the Afya Halisi Team. The County Executive Committee Member (CECM) for Health Ms. Rosaita Ngina said that the plan was a great boost to the 240 functional public health facilities in the county. She applauded the team for their constant efforts to improve the productive health and shun mortality rate among expectant mothers in the county.
“I am glad that Afya Halisi will be supporting Reproductive Maternal, Newborn, Child and Adolescent Health; Health is human right per article 43 of the Constitution and Reproductive Health is singled out; that every person has the right to the highest attainable standards of health, which include the reproductive healthcare”. She said.
The Minister noted that the health docket in the county has an allocation of 28% of the total budget in the fiscal year plan. She invited the team to extend their services to the two Sub-counties locked out from the plan as a way to ensure that residents in the areas benefit equally from the plan.The CEC further added that the project will reduce maternal and new born deaths by strengthening reproductive health activities in the county.
“We must end all pregnancy related deaths and increase fertility health scale” she said.
She recommended that the county government will improve staffing level in the health facilities, improve supply of reproductive health equipment, establish ambulance command and control centre using a toll free line and strengthen knowledge and skills of healthcare workers on reproductive health through trainings, mentorship, study tours and bench marking.
The Minister, however, noted the need to strengthen advocacy and community sensitization on reproductive health and strengthen collaboration with Non-Governmental Organizations to boost the sector. This will foster quality, preventive, curative and rehabilitative reproductive Health Services to all. Other counties set to benefit from Programme are Migori, Kakamega and Kisumu. According to Afya Halisi Director Ruth Odhiambo, the programme kicked off in October 2017 and will end in September 2022.
