Community Health Assistants (CHAs) in Kiambu County have received specialised training on maternal and newborn child health to strengthen supervision of Community Health Promoters (CHPs) at the grassroots level.
The training, conducted by the community health team from AIC Kijabe Mission hospital, took place Wednesday at the County Commissioner’s office in Kiambu.
It formed part of the routine monthly meetings that have been held twice a month since February this year.
The Session focused on equipping CHAs with up-to-date knowledge and skills to better support mothers and newborns, particularly those from vulnerable backgrounds.
CHAs will now cascade the training to Community Health Promoters, who serve as the first point of contact in households across the County.
Simon Mbugua, an officer from Kijabe Mission hospital, explained the objective of the programme, saying it aims at imparting skills to CHAs, who will intern and train CHPs who are based at the grassroots.
“Our aim is to have the mothers from vulnerable backgrounds benefit from the education gained by the CHAs. They will be required to go train the CHPs and be able to demonstrate that,” Mbugua said.
Maternal and newborn health remains a critical area in Kiambu County and across Kenya. Timely access to quality antenatal care, skilled delivery, postnatal support, and newborn care significantly reduces risks of complications such as maternal haemorrhage, infections, preterm births, and neonatal mortality.
Community-level interventions play a vital role in bridging the gap between households and health facilities by promoting early antenatal booking, nutrition education, danger sign recognition, exclusive breastfeeding, immunisation, and hygiene practices.
Through this capacity-building initiative, CHAs are better positioned to mentor and supervise CHPs effectively.
The promoters, embedded in villages and estates, conduct home visits, educate families, link mothers to nearby clinics, and follow up on high-risk cases.
Strengthened supervision ensures that accurate information reaches pregnant women and new mothers, encouraging health-seeking behaviour and reducing delays in seeking care.
Participants discussed practical strategies for community education, data collection and referral systems.
Emphasis was placed on practical demonstrations so that CHPs could confidently pass on life-saving knowledge to families.
The health officials noted that empowered Community Health Workers contribute directly to national goals of reducing maternal and neonatal mortality.
Improved community awareness is expected to lead to higher uptake of services such as focused antenatal care, facility deliveries, and postnatal visits.
by Kipkorir Felix
