LVCT Health Prepares to Host Liverpool Community Health Change-Makers for a Learning Visit in Homa Bay, Kenya

Homa Bay community health change-makers in Liverpool during a courtesy call to the Lord Mayor of Liverpool, Cllr. Mary Rasmussen.

Five Liverpool-based community and health ‘change-makers’ will travel to Homa Bay County in Western Kenya in September. This learning exchange is facilitated by the Institute of Resilient Health Systems at Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine and LVCT Health, Kenya, and funded through the THET Global Health Workforce Programme.

The ‘change-maker pairs’ from Liverpool and Homa Bay work in various roles, from senior public health policymaking in local government to frontline community health and youth advocates. By matching them up with their counterparts, the exchange fosters collaborative relationships and harnesses the experience of each pair.

The exchange programme aims to inspire change-maker pairs by developing a deeper understanding of each other’s contexts so that they can reflect on and change how things are done ‘back home’.

Following the recent successful THET-funded visit of community health and public health leads from Homa Bay County to Liverpool in May 2024, Liverpool change-makers are preparing to reunite with their counterparts and friends in Homa Bay County,Kenya.

During the recent Liverpool exchange, change-makers worked to reflect on their respective community health systems’ strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and challenges. They discussed and shared learning together across each context, identifying the activities and outcomes needed to build healthy and equitable communities. Their shared vision sees the role of strong community and primary health care as a starting point for engaging with and serving the needs of their local populations.

Change-maker pairs from Homa Bay County pose for a group photo with Prof. David Lalloo (in grey suit), Director at LSTM. Far right is Prof. Miriam Taegtmeyer, LSTM.

“We’re excited to host the team from Liverpool for this return exchange visit. The Kenya team found the visit to Liverpool exciting and worthwhile, with learning about Primary care networks as well as the strengths and challenges of the UK health system. Kenya has made a lot of progress in community health, and we look forward to showcasing it. The team will also get to see how the health system is structured and how the Homa Bay County team manages to navigate complexity to strengthen healthcare for the people. We hope they will enjoy our African hospitality during this visit to the lakeside,” said Dr Lilian Otiso, Executive Director, LVCT Health.

The visit to Kenya is not just a learning opportunity, but a chance to immerse in the Kenyan approach to community health. Liverpool change-makers will have the privilege of meeting with Kenyan dignitaries, including the Permanent Secretary for Health, the Dean of Nairobi University Medical School, and the Governor for Homabay. They will also get to shadow their change-maker counterparts, observe community health in action, and visit a local health facility. The working sessions will enable each team to develop recommendations and a ‘strategy on a page’ for their local setting. Importantly, this visit will further strengthen relationships, all while enjoying the beautiful environment and hospitality in Homa Bay County.

“I am truly grateful for this opportunity to learn from the Homa Bay team and share my experiences. As part of a CIT (community innovation team), I have been working with key local partners to address health inequalities in our communities. This learning exchange program has been a transformative experience for me, and I am excited to bring back new insights and strategies to my work in Liverpool,”Dagmara Wojciechowicz, Manager of Merseyside Polonia.