The Health Association of the Sisterhoods of Kenya have been working on a project to create awareness on non-communicable diseases in Kenya under the project of Strengthening Catholic sisters’ healthcare systems for the provision of sustainable healthcare services for priority NCDs in Kenya. This has been going on since 2023 with 82 health facilities participating. A lot of achievements have been felt by both the healthcare providers and communities served.
Through a network of 82 health facilities under the Catholic Sisters, we have been working to improve health outcomes in underprivileged regions in Kenya. Our focus in 2023/2024 is to create awareness and do screening for non-communicable Diseases. Each year we carry out a NCDs week during Lenten period to sensitize the people on the impacts of NCDs and the importance of lifestyle modification, and all round the year we take healthcare nearer to people through outreaches.
Some of the successes include the change in attitude among the community members which has increased health seeking behavior, improved community awareness on lifestyle modification, improved presence of the sisters in the community, increased numbers of those who registered with the National Health Insurance(NHIF) and also increased patients’ turn-up in the clinics that were almost crumbling down among others. These changes came out as a result of financial assistance to carry out the outreaches and also collaboration with the ministry of health at the grassroots and other health stakeholders.
Among the diseases of concern are cervical cancer, hypertension, Diabetes and mental health among others. The economic status in Kenya in the country is leading more people to mental illness and we have witnessed some deaths by suicide even to healthcare providers themselves. We are looking forward for more awareness and reduction of mental illness.
