Mother-to-child HIV transmission in Kisumu County has declined by more than half, with the risk among HIV-exposed infants falling from 4.9 per cent in 2018 to 2.2 per cent in 2021, Governor Peter Anyang’ Nyong’o has said.

Speaking during the 18th Tropical Institute of Community Health and Development (TICH) Annual Scientific Conference in Kisumu, Prof Nyong’o said the progress demonstrated the impact of sustained investment in healthcare, community-based interventions and partnerships among government and health institutions.

The county boss noted that Kisumu had initially faced one of the heaviest health burdens in the country with HIV prevalence among women of childbearing age standing at about one-in-five, approximately four times the national average.

“Sadly, in 2020 our institutional maternal mortality ratio stood at 220 per 100,000 live births, making it among the highest in the country. And they were not just numbers, as they say, but mothers, children and families,” he explained.

The governor cited findings from a study conducted in 61 FACES-supported health facilities in Kisumu County that showed a significant reduction in HIV transmission among exposed infants.

The study, published in the peer-reviewed, open-access PLOS Medicine journal, assessed HIV transmission among infants through the breastfeeding period and found that transmission before two months of age declined from 1.5 per cent in 2018 to 0.6 per cent in 2021.

Overall, the risk of HIV transmission among HIV-exposed infants fell from 4.9 per cent to 2.2 per cent during the same period, representing a reduction of more than half.

The study also found that the proportion of mother-infant pairs lost to follow-up declined from 9.9 per cent to 2.5 per cent, indicating improved retention of mothers and infants in care.

FACES-supported facilities are public, faith-based or community health facilities that receive operational, technical or financial support through the Family AIDS Care and Education Services (FACES) programme.

FACES is a collaboration involving Kenya Medical Research Institute (KEMRI) and the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF), supporting comprehensive HIV services that involves testing, antiretroviral therapy, prevention of mother-to-child transmission, counselling and adolescent healthcare.

The programme has also supported capacity building through training of healthcare workers, strengthening laboratory services and improving patient tracking and data systems.

Nyong’o said Kisumu had made further progress in expanding access to healthcare through community-based interventions, with more than 2,300 Community Health Promoters (CHPs) currently working across villages. The CHPs, he said, have been equipped with digital tools to provide health education, identify health needs, make referrals and link households with formal healthcare services.

“Through telemedicine and electronic referral systems, we are reaching far-flung regions and communities around the county,” he said.

Kenya’s CHP programme is part of the government’s shift to preventive and promotive primary healthcare. The promoters serve as a link between households and the formal health system, providing basic health services, health education, disease prevention and referrals. The government has rolled out more than 100,000 CHPs across the 47 counties. They are organised around Community Health Units linked to health facilities within Primary Care Networks.

The model is intended to facilitate early detection of illnesses, promote healthy practices and enable referrals closer to where people live, while reducing pressure on higher-level health facilities. Each CHP was initially expected to serve about 100 households.

Kisumu has also played a role in Kenya’s community health digitisation, having piloted the electronic Community Health Information System (eCHIS) in 2021 before its subsequent expansion nationally.

The system enables CHPs to register households, record services provided, make referrals and submit community health data electronically, strengthening the flow of information between communities and health facilities.

In July 2026, Kisumu County began equipping Community Health Assistants with digital tablets to strengthen supervision of CHPs, data collection and patient referrals. The county is also using eCHIS to link community-level information with the wider health system.

Nyong’o called for greater collaboration among the national and county governments, health institutions and communities to strengthen healthcare delivery. He said while the national government has responsibility for policy and financing, county governments are closer to residents and have the resources and authority to respond to local healthcare needs.

Institutions such as TICH, he added, have a responsibility to generate and provide knowledge, while communities should provide legitimacy and ownership of health interventions.

The governor further emphasised that achieving health for all by 2028 would require more than incremental improvements, calling for a decisive shift towards locally anchored healthcare systems that are accountable to the people.

“Health for all by 2028 is a commitment that must be striven to be attained. Incremental adjustments will not suffice. There is a need for a decisive shift to sovereign, locally anchored pathways, accountable to the people,” he said.

TICH has played a significant role in advancing community-based healthcare in Kisumu and the wider region through training, research and partnerships with government and other institutions. Its dates back to the Saradidi Rural Health Programme, established in Siaya in 1979. TICH itself was established in 1998 and launched its academic programme at Tom Mboya Labour College in Kisumu.

The institution has since trained community health and development professionals and conducted research aimed at informing health policy and practice. In 2006, TICH partnered with the ministry of health in the development of Kenya’s community health strategy that sought to strengthen community-based healthcare and improve access to essential services.

TICH has since expanded its work to include training, research and community development, with programmes covering community health and development, medical courses and Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET).

• A Tell Media / KNA report / By Mabel Keya- Shikuku and Pamella Dorothy