Emergency Response Systems Strengthened Across Counties

an article reported that counties across Kenya are implementing innovative strategies to strengthen emergency health‑response systems. Counties such as Marsabit County are investing in additional ambulances and referral coordinators, even as challenges like difficult terrain, limited funding, and poor network coverage persist.
In some counties, previously uncoordinated ambulance services have been centralised to improve dispatch efficiency. For example, Kilifi County has established an emergency‑medical services unit staffed by trained personnel; it has also launched first‑aid training for community health promoters and local first responders — including boda boda riders — to provide immediate care before ambulances arrive, especially in remote areas.
Experts and stakeholders urge that this county‑led momentum must be supported with structured national coordination and sufficient resources. According to Emergency Medicine Care Foundation (EMKF), over 10 counties now have organised emergency‑health systems, including public ambulance services with centralised communication, emergency departments, and trained staff.
If these initiatives are implemented effectively across all counties, EMKF estimates that preventable deaths could be reduced by up to 50 percent.