KISII, Kenya, Jan 29 — The Kisii County government has pledged to develop strategies to ensure the continuation of services previously funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the US President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR).
The county promised a review on Tuesday while responding to an announcement by President Donald Trump ordering 90-day suspension of funding for these projects.
County Executive Member for Health and Medical Services, Ronald Nyakweba, revealed that 518 workers affected by the decision had since proceeded on terminal leave.
“We are swiftly implementing measures to address the gaps in service delivery. [The county] will not allow our patients to suffer, as we already have sufficient health workers,” said Nyakweba.
“We assure our people not to worry, as we are strategizing on possible ways to mitigate this crisis,” Nyakweba added.
Reproductive health
Nyakweba remarked on the funding freeze during a reproductive health workshop in Kisii, which also covered Makueni and Mombasa Counties.
The workshop, sponsored by Jacaranda Health, focused on the use of AI tools to support mothers during pregnancy through AI-enabled SMS.
The AI-enabled SMS system shares information via text messages to assist pregnant women in caring for themselves and their babies.
It provides feedback on the quality of services they receive, sends free reminders for antenatal and postnatal appointments, and offers educational health information.
Jacaranda Health’s Country Director, Job Akoyo, stated that the organization is working to improve healthcare systems in the country by addressing barriers related to high maternal and neonatal mortality rates.
Akoyo further emphasized that they are enhancing how mothers access services, receive quality care, and are referred for treatment, which is critical for improving outcomes.
“We are collaborating with counties to ensure they analyze data critically, as data will help them allocate resources where they are most needed,” Akoyo said.
Through the AI tool, 56,596 mothers have benefited by accessing information about their antenatal and postpartum care, including reminders for clinical appointments.
Additionally, Jacaranda Health has rolled out real-time, co-designed dashboards to improve decision-making and resource allocation across the three counties.
