New Strategy Aims to Improve Rural Health Access

Kenya’s Ministry of Health has launched a bold new strategy to optimize primary health care, with a special focus on improving access in rural areas. The Primary Health Care Optimization Initiative is being rolled out in partnership with Amref Health Africa and other development stakeholders.
Ministry of Health
The initiative comes amid growing recognition that health services must be more community-centered, preventive, and sustainable.
Under the strategy, over 8.8 million households have already been registered on an electronic Community Health Information System, allowing health workers to screen for non‑communicable diseases like hypertension and diabetes, as well as to monitor maternal and child health more closely.
In addition, Kenya has established 228 Primary Care Networks spread across its 47 counties — bringing coordinated primary care closer to underserved communities.
In Turkana County, a key part of the strategy is being delivered through the Building Resilient and Responsive Health Systems (BREHS) project, supported by the World Bank.
The project targets both host and refugee populations, aiming to strengthen infrastructure, improve workforce capacity, and deliver high-quality primary care services in one of Kenya’s hardest-to-reach regions.
Officials emphasize that this strategy aligns with Kenya’s long-term goal of achieving Universal Health Coverage (UHC) by 2028.
By building a more prevention-first, digitally enabled, and community-driven health system, the Ministry believes it can close major gaps in rural health access and ensure more equitable quality care for all Kenyans.