Boost for community mental health services as Nakuru receives 56 digital tablets
A community health worker receives tablets under the Kenya Mental Health Programme (KMHP) from the deputy governor David Koros on July 23
Nakuru County has received 56 digital tablets to strengthen community-based mental health services, in a donation aimed at improving supervision, data reporting and follow-up of vulnerable residents.
The devices - 45 for Community Health Assistants (CHAs) and 11 for sub-county Community Health Team Leads - were handed over through a partnership with Amref Health Africa to support the electronic Community Health Information System (eCHIS).
The initiative is expected to improve the quality, timeliness and use of community mental health data. It forms part of wider efforts to advance digital health transformation at the community level.
Dr Cleophas Wafula, Nakuru’s Head of Psychiatry and Mental Health, said Community Health Assistants remain uniquely placed to catch mental illness early, since many affected people go undiagnosed for long periods.
"Many people experiencing mental illness remain undiagnosed, untreated, or reach health facilities very late," Wafula said. "Community Health Assistants are often the first point of contact for families and are therefore uniquely positioned to identify individuals in need, provide basic support, and facilitate timely referral."
He said the new tablets would enable digital screening, real-time reporting, timely referrals and improved communication between community health workers and health facilities, while also urging CHAs to safeguard client confidentiality and maintain professionalism in handling client data.
The tablet handover builds on earlier gains made under the Kenya Mental Health Program, through which the county has trained over 3,400 CHPs and more than 200 health care workers, strengthening the county's capacity to deliver integrated mental health services within community and primary health care systems.
“As part of this effort, CHAs and CHPs recently underwent training to recognize common mental, neurological and substance use disorders, offer basic psychological support, and make appropriate referrals to health facilities, Dr Wafula said.
Representatives of CHAs and CHPs receive their tablets during the official launch on July 23
On his part, Deputy Governor (DG) David Kones said the tablets would strengthen supportive supervision, improve real-time reporting, and enhance follow-up of vulnerable individuals, while also providing reliable data for evidence-based planning and resource allocation.
Kones said mental health was increasingly a community issue and noted that early signs often emerge in homes, schools, workplaces, places of worship and social spaces, making community-based interventions critical for prevention, early identification and timely care.
Community health promoters and assistants, he said, remain the first point of contact for many households, offering health education, identifying those in need, linking patients to health facilities, supporting treatment adherence, and helping break the stigma around mental illness.
“When individuals receive support early, families remain stronger, communities become more resilient, and the burden on our health facilities is significantly reduced,” the DG said, adding that that is why strengthening community mental health remains a key priority in delivering quality, people-centered health care.