From Community Health to the Front Lines of COVID-19

By Esther Wanjiru Kariuki, Communications Assistant Milton conducts a COVID-19 sensitization meeting in his community. Photo courtesy of Milton Okumu Maina for IntraHealth International.January 29, 2021Milton Okumu Maina used to spend his time supervising community health volunteers and coordinating community health activities in Kenya. He’s a community health assistant (CHA), also known as community health extension worker (CHEW), for the Nduru Kadero and West Katieno Community Health Units in Kisumu County, Kenya.But in the spring of 2020, his job completely changed.Milton is one of the many health workers across Kenya who are at the forefront of the response to the COVID-19 virus. But even his nine years of experience didn’t prepare him for a global pandemic.When coronavirus cases began to rise and spread around the world including in Kenya, Milton was selected to join the Kisumu County COVID-19 surveillance team. Blending his knowledge and skills as a community health assistant, Milton began to train community health volunteers on COVID-19 prevention, transmission, and management and help them disseminate that information to local households.He also began screening people at the county borders, contact tracing, and ensuring the public follows safety guidelines, such as social distancing and wearing face masks.
Source: IntraHealth International - Category: International Medicine & Public Health Authors: Tags: COVID-19 Community Engagement 2021 Year of the Health and Care Worker Community Health Workers Source Type: news