The government will hire 103,000 community health promoters as part of a preventive approach to healthcare, President William Ruto has said.

Each promoter will be responsible for 100 households and will be kitted with modern medical equipment and deployed in communities across Kenya.

“Preventive healthcare saves lives and resources. This Bottom-Up approach to healthcare will allow us to detect health issues early and manage minor ones at the community level, which will decongest our hospitals and improve service delivery,” President Ruto explained.

The President spoke during a meeting with USAID Administrator Samantha Power at State House, Nairobi. Health Cabinet Secretary Susan Nakhumicha and US Ambassador to Kenya Meg Whitman were also present.

The President also revealed that the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) will train the workers.

He commended USAID for M-Mama, an innovative mobile app ambulance service that pregnant women and new mothers can call when in distress.

“USAID is a valued development patner. We have a robust partnership across many sectors and particularly in healthcare,” he said.