Lodwar- January 13, 2025 (Public Communications and Media Relations)

The County Department of Health and Sanitation has set up Social Health Authority (SHA) enrollment desks in all 274 operational health facilities. This is alongside additional outreaches through community programs and public gatherings across the county.

This initiative aims to ensure that residents have access to essential medical services. The SHA oversees the Social Health Insurance Fund (SHIF), a universal health coverage policy designed to expand affordable healthcare access to all Kenyans.

As of 13th January 2025, the county has enrolled 49,204 residents, representing 5.3% of the targeted population of 926,976. With these initiatives, the department has been enrolling an average of 500 individuals daily.

Furthermore, public sensitization campaigns to enroll more using the USSD code *147# and trained community health promoters have aided the process.

While challenges such as the lack of ID cards and phones persist, partnerships with local leaders aiming to combat misinformation have boosted enrollment.

The County Executive for Health and Sanitation, Dr Joseph Epem, emphasized the need for collective efforts to achieve universal health coverage.