At simply 20, Esther Wamuhu from Laikipia West is decided to rewrite her future. Just a few years in the past, she needed to put her training on maintain after an unplanned teenage being pregnant. Now, she is able to return to high school, end her secondary training, and pursue her dream of going to school.

However there was one main hurdle—entry to reasonably priced household planning.

“I wished a superb household planning technique, however I simply couldn’t afford it,” Esther remembers. Then, at some point, she heard an announcement on her native radio station a couple of free well being outreach occurring in her village. She didn’t hesitate to go, and the go to turned out to be life-changing.

“I obtained a five-year household planning technique totally free. Now, I can return to high school with out the concern of one other being pregnant,” she says with aid.

For numerous ladies like Esther, entry to high quality sexual and reproductive well being providers stays a problem in Kenya—particularly in casual settlements and far-flung arid areas the place excessive charges of maternal mortality, teenage pregnancies, and gender-based violence are frequent

“We bridge the hole by taking these providers on to the communities,” explains Dr. Timothy Panga, Chief Officer for Well being in Laikipia County. “Many ladies may by no means go to a well being facility until they’re going through a important situation, so outreach packages like these are important.”

Recognising the urgency of those wants, the World Well being Organisation (WHO) is making vital strides by offering sexual and reproductive well being kits value USD 100 000 to 6 precedence counties —Kajiado, Samburu, Laikipia, Siaya, Marsabit, and Tana River. These kits comprise important provides for household planning, post-miscarriage and post-abortion care, obstetric emergencies, and help for survivors of gender-based violence.

This initiative is rooted in a complete 2024 wants evaluation carried out by the WHO and Ministry of Well being that recognized important gaps in coaching, important sexual and reproductive well being provides, and group engagement. By strategically addressing these challenges, WHO Kenya is enabling extra ladies and households to entry life-saving reproductive well being care providers. 

For example, in Samburu, a urgent scarcity of Oxytocin—an important medicine for stopping postpartum hemorrhage—was swiftly resolved, making certain well timed and efficient care. Moreover, the institution of designated post-abortion care rooms within the county well being services ensures ladies obtain care in a secure and confidential setting with the very best normal of help with dignity and respect. As of February 2025, 6 post-abortion care rooms have been arrange within the 6 counties which had been geared up with important provides and medicines by the WHO.

The WHO Kenya can also be supporting the capability constructing of healthcare staff to ship complete sexual and reproductive well being providers. By on-the-job coaching and mentorship by specialists, County healthcare personnel are gaining superior abilities in post-abortion care and household planning, thus bolstering their confidence to supply high quality and complete sexual and reproductive well being and rights providers. Greater than 216 have to this point benefitted from the on-job coaching and mentorship in 36 services in 6 counties.  Moreover, to deal with the gaps recognized in 2024 round enhancing entry in hard-to-reach and underserved communities, WHO is increasing its affect by built-in outreach providers, which have already reached over 3,300 individuals in Laikipia County alone, with 260 receiving household planning providers and 1,147 present process most cancers screenings.

County leaders have lauded this initiative for its constructive affect on ladies’s well being. Governor Joseph Ole Lenku of Kajiado County expressed gratitude, emphasising the worth of WHO’s collaboration in reaching underserved populations.

“We don’t take this help with no consideration and really recognize our collaboration journey with the World Well being Group,” he mentioned.

As WHO Kenya continues to work with the federal government to develop entry to high quality reproductive healthcare, the main focus stays on strengthening well being programs and empowering communities with data and assets for sustained beneficial properties in sexual and reproductive well being and rights.