Giving Compass' Take:
- Population Services Kenya is running a pilot program where community health workers provide access to health contraceptives and counsel to women in rural areas of Kenya.
- How can community health workers bring about changes in behavior and attitude toward healthcare in rural areas?
- Read about the Maverick Collective, an initiative of PSI that invests in the health of women.
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At 30 years old, Riziki Karisa is already the mother of 10 children; her youngest arrived just last spring. Living in a remote area of Kilifi County in coastal Kenya, she never had the chance to go to school, and her family survives on the income she and her husband earn from gathering wood and selling charcoal.
For years, Karisa asked her husband if she could use contraception, permission she believed she needed based on the cultural norms of her community. With each ask, he said no. That was, until a community health worker visited the couple and offered counseling on their doorstep. Her husband agreed and she received an IUD at a local clinic.
Bringing health information and services directly to consumers is a quiet revolution that is disrupting healthcare systems worldwide. New technology and task shifting to community health workers bring care— previously provided only by medical professionals in brick and mortar facilities—directly to patients, while making it safer and more affordable. Mobile phones and tablets allow community health workers to collect data and bring information and care directly to consumers in even the most remote areas.
As a thought partner and investor in a three-year pilot project implemented by Population Services Kenya, I’m seeing firsthand the advantages of training community health workers to provide a variety of contraceptive methods, including implants. Providing implants during home visits can be a game-changer, offering protection for up to five years so women can better manage their fertility.
Read the full article about community-based health care by Ann Morris at PSI