Health departments urged to adopt digital technologies

By Jabali Media

Kisumu governor Anyang’ Nyong’o has urged heads of health departments to adopt digital technologies, in a bid to enhance proper healthcare coordination.

The technologies, Nyong’o said, will broaden access, empower patients, and reduce costs.   

Speaking on Wednesday during the official opening of a two-day inaugural Lake Region Digital Health Conference at a Kisumu hotel, governor Nyong’o said digital solutions and innovations must be accessible and user-friendly, “never becoming so complex that they create obstacles.”

“I am proud to announce that through our collaborative partnership with Living Goods, Kisumu County has fully digitalized its community health system,” said the County boss.  

“This milestone has enabled us to carry out thorough household visits, identifying individuals in need of referrals to higher levels of care.”

The innovation, the governor stated, has allowed his administration to verify data from socio-economic surveys, ensuring that truly vulnerable individuals—some of whom had never even used a mobile phone, are accurately identified and supported.

“This single advancement has dramatically improved health outcomes in Kisumu, particularly in maternal and child health, with significant reductions in stunting and increased skilled birth attendance,” he added.

Speaking at the event, Dr. Joyce Wamiscwe, Acting Head of Digital Health Informatics (HDHI) at the Ministry of Health, emphasised the transformative potential of digital health.

She spoke on how real-time health data can improve clinical outcomes and enable data portability.

“Healthcare facilities are already benefiting from the Kenyan Digital Health superhighway, including access to electronic claims,” she noted.

The two-day Lake Region Digital Health Conference is expected to attract prominent figures from the healthcare and technology sectors.

The Lake Region Economic Block (LREB) is made up of 14 counties.

They are: Busia, Siaya, Kisumu, Homabay, Migori, Kisii, Nyamira, Bomet, Kericho, Trans Nzoia, Nandi, Vihiga, Kakamega and Bungoma. 

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