Turkana County, donor partners unveil IMonitor to enhance community health
Funded by AMREF Health Africa through the TB Global Fund, the application will facilitate data collection and improve service delivery by enabling the community to provide feedback on the health services they receive.
The Turkana County Government, with support from donor partners, has unveiled the IMonitor application to enhance community health.
According to the county government, the community-led monitoring system aims to improve social accountability and strengthen healthcare systems within the county.
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Funded by AMREF Health Africa through the TB Global Fund, the application will facilitate data collection and improve service delivery by enabling the community to provide feedback on the health services they receive.
Speaking during an educational forum on the new application, Daniel Esimit, Deputy Director for Preventive and Promotive Health Services, said the initiative will build the department’s capacity in data collection and service delivery.
“Moving forward, decisions made at the departmental level will be guided by feedback received from our clients. This will help ensure healthier communities, prevent disease, and address emerging issues effectively,” he said.
He highlighted that the application employs a community-led monitoring approach, allowing residents to anonymously share their experiences and concerns regarding the healthcare they receive.
Donor partners training Turkana County health management team on the newly introduced IMonitor application, aimed at transforming community health services in Turkana County. (County press)
Catherine Kamau, the Community System Strengthening (CSS) Coordinator at AMREF Health Africa, noted that a community-led system is one of the key pillars of CSS, playing a vital role in reaching every household and gathering health service feedback.
“We expect the county government to collaborate closely with the community so that we can achieve stronger health systems. We are committed to working with all levels of the health system and the community to generate solutions and implement change,” she stated.
Abraham Esekon, Project Coordinator for the TB Project at World Relief, emphasised that the initiative offers an opportunity to engage senior health workers on effective ways of receiving timely feedback from the community.
“We are pleased that the county government has taken leadership in rolling out this web application to health facilities and in sensitising the community to share their feedback,” he said.
He further outlined plans to train and support peer monitors selected by community networks, as well as to conduct data analysis through an integrated approach to effectively respond to and resolve issues.
Dr Mercy Kawira, Head of Health for Turkana Central Sub-County, noted that the app will complement existing feedback structures.
“Feedback can be both positive and negative, and this tool is especially useful for encouraging anonymous input. It adds to the use of suggestion boxes and community sensitisation in our drive for a patient-centred approach,” she added.
She explained that patient-centred services not only help tailor care to meet specific needs, but also see higher uptake by communities, empowering them to be part of the solution.
IMonitor, in the context of health systems, is a health information system that uses various sensors and data collection tools to monitor patient health and track the performance of healthcare services.
The IMonitor system was first piloted in Kenya in 2015 in three counties: Kwale, Vihiga, and Homa Bay. This community-led monitoring (CLM) mechanism was designed to gather and respond to information related to HIV, TB, malaria, and COVID-19.
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