Community Health Partners provided wide-ranging care in Kenya in 2020

Community Health Partners (CHP), a CMF partner medical ministry in Narok County, Kenya, has been on the forefront of healthcare since 1980, and has played an especially big role during the pandemic, according to John Sankok, the CHP Director.

“We acquired registration as an NGO in 2011 and work on two fronts, primary health care services and community development initiatives,” said John. “Our overall strategic plan is to contribute to the delivery of quality, accessible and affordable health services.”

Thanks to the support of its partners, CHP has a long list of accomplishments in 2020. Here is an update on some of their projects.

• COVID-19 Response Project

To limit the spread of COVID and reduce its impact on healthcare service providers and households, CHP focused on education, preparedness and response. Church leaders and healthcare workers were trained in line with government guidelines, and they reached out to communities through small group meetings, house-to-house contacts and other opportunities. During the month of July alone, they made contact with 17,440 Kenyans. Response has been very good, as evidenced by the use of face masks, handwashing and social distancing in the community.

CHP continues to partner with the Ministry of Health in surveillance and response and COVID testing.

• Primary health care services

CHP operates four ambulatory care clinics in Narok County and works in collaboration with the government in seven other clinics. It is one of the largest health service providers in the country and, in 2020, cared for 98,733 people.

• Integrated Christian Impact Program

CHP began as a medical ministry of CMF, so it continues to uphold its identity as a Christian organization, integrating Christian ministry in all its projects, and employing Christian professionals in church leadership as a way to support church planting.

In 2020, with the support of CMF and other partner churches and agencies, CHP helped more than 100 churches reopen after pandemic closures by providing the churches with handwashing stations and soaps, sanitizers, masks and training on prevention and control of COVID-19. Vulnerable households were also provided with food subsidies.

• Child protection

The goal of this project is to improve the well-being of schoolchildren in Narok County by increasing school retention rates, improving school health and nutritional status and strengthening child protection systems. The project was implemented in 28 schools, reaching 14,783 children.

• Isilon Water Project

This borehole well was initiated by White River Christian Church, Noblesville, Indiana, in a community that was in dire need of water. The church is also donating 100 goats to vulnerable households.

• HIV/AIDS Care and Treatment Program

This project implements TB/HIV care and treatment interventions for more than 4,000 people, including 1,030 people living with HIV who are currently on antiretroviral treatments.