Kisumu: Community health promoters in Kisumu have been enlisted in a renewed campaign to combat rising cases of new HIV infections, teenage pregnancies, and gender-based violence, collectively referred to as the triple threat. The initiative is a collaborative effort led by the National Syndemic Diseases Control Council (NSDCC) and Kisumu Central MP Joshua Oron. It aims to equip dozens of community health promoters (CHPs) with the necessary training and resources to strengthen prevention efforts at the grassroots level.
According to Kenya News Agency, during a sensitization forum at Mama Grace Onyango Social Hall, NSDCC Nyanza Regional Coordinator Steve Oyugi emphasized the impact of these challenges on education and socio-economic progress among adolescents and young people in the area. He noted that the triple threat not only disrupts the education process but also negates government efforts towards achieving full school transition.
Oyugi highlighted the crucial role of community health promoters in identifying and responding to cases that often go unreported within communities. By closely interacting with households, these health promoters can detect incidents of gender-based violence, teenage pregnancies, and other issues that might otherwise remain hidden. Despite ongoing interventions, Oyugi expressed concern over Kisumu’s high HIV prevalence rate, which stands at slightly above 11 per cent.
The demographic reality of Kisumu, with about 61 per cent of its residents aged 24 years and below, further underscores the need to intensify efforts to protect young people from these threats. Kisumu Central MP Joshua Oron reiterated the importance of the partnership with the council in strengthening community-level responses through health promoters. He pointed out that newly acquired HIV infections and gender-based violence are major concerns, while early pregnancies among young people remain prevalent.
Oron described CHPs as frontline healthcare workers whose role extends beyond addressing the triple threat to supporting disease surveillance, maternal health, and public health interventions. During the event, the MP donated protective gear such as gumboots and umbrellas to the health promoters to aid their work in villages and hard-to-reach areas.
Both Oyugi and Oron urged community members to collaborate with health promoters in reporting and preventing cases of HIV infection, gender-based violence, and teenage pregnancies, thereby enhancing the effectiveness of the campaign.
