Principal Secretary for Public Health and Professional Standards, Mary Muthoni, in a discussions with a World Bicycle Relief delegation led by Regional Director for East Africa, Maureen Kolenyo/HANDOUT
More than 7,700 bicycles have been distributed to Community Health Promoters (CHPs) across the country through a partnership between the Ministry of Health, World Bicycle Relief, county governments, and other development partners, in an effort to improve access to healthcare services in rural and hard-to-reach areas.
The initiative is aimed at addressing mobility challenges that often hinder CHPs from effectively reaching households, especially in remote regions where terrain and distance limit timely delivery of essential health services.
By providing bicycles, the programme seeks to enhance the ability of CHPs to conduct regular home visits, follow up on patients, and ensure early detection and referral of health conditions at the community level.
Principal Secretary for Public Health and Professional Standards, Mary Muthoni, held discussions with a delegation from World Bicycle Relief led by the regional director for East Africa, Maureen Kolenyo.
The meeting focused on strengthening collaboration to further support community health systems through improved mobility solutions for frontline health workers.
During the talks, the parties reviewed plans for the distribution of an additional 864 bicycles to community health promoters.
The new allocation is expected to further boost service delivery by improving household coverage, strengthening referral pathways, and increasing the efficiency of community-based health interventions.
The discussions also emphasised the importance of equipping CHPs with the necessary tools to support the government’s broader health agenda.
Both parties noted that strengthening mobility is a critical step in ensuring that community health workers can effectively bridge the gap between households and formal health facilities.
The initiative aligns with the government’s commitment to strengthening primary health care and accelerating the achievement of Universal Health Coverage (UHC).
By empowering CHPs with bicycles, the programme aims to improve access to essential health services, particularly for vulnerable populations in underserved areas.
Officials noted that a well-supported and mobile community health workforce plays a key role in reducing preventable diseases, improving maternal and child health outcomes, and enhancing overall public health delivery across the country.
