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The use of the Vital Signs Profile tool in Bungoma County is making strides towards strengthening Primary Health Care. Spearheaded by the County’s health department, the VSP tool monitors critical PHC indicators, and helps to measure the success across various health objectives. With a strong advocacy and strategic planning, this tool is aimed at enhancing  health service delivery and ensuring that every sub county can track and improve health outcomes.

“We integrated the VSP review and update process into our annual planning cycle to make sure it directly informs our annual health target,” said Dr. Caleb Watta, the director,health department. “Yet, funding gaps remain.While Primary Health Care is a top priority, the budget allocated is often insufficient due to the necessity of covering recurrent costs first.”Despite these financial limitations, Dr. Watta emphasizes that the department has lobbied persistently to secure a place for PHC in the county’s budget.

(Dr. Caleb Watta, during the PHC TWG inauguration)

The county had initially planned for the establishment of 10 Primary Care Networks (PCNs), essential clusters through which PHC services are coordinated in Bungoma, Yet,only two sub counties, Webuye West and Kilmilili,are the currently with operational PCNs, each integral to adopting the VSP tool efficiently.

“For PHC financing to be sustainable, the key players need to be sensitized to understand  the significance of tools like VSP. PHC programs also  do require dedicated funds, but we often experience reallocations.”Watta suggests a solution to ring-fencing  resources to protect PHC allocations from reallocation backed by policies that enforce such protections

Doreen Kinanga, PHC coordinator, stressed the importance of aligning the county assembly’s budget priorities with PHC needs. “The VSP tool is better positioned to aid in making informed intervention to improve indicators and service delivery.However, we need more county-wide support to expand PCNs beyond Webuye West and Kimilili,” she explained. “Educating our county assembly on the importance of the VSP tool will also encourage them to support this funding, ensuring that PHC remains a priority even beyond this project that is being implemented by RMNCAH Network.”

(PHC Coordinator, Doreen Kinanga during the PCN Framework mentorship to RMNCAH Network members)

Although funding constraints have delayed the county’s plans to establish 10 operational PCNs, the health department has scaled up the VSP adoption  to all 10 sub-counties even without having operational PCNs in other sub counties to help to track performance and provide data-based insights.

Despite these limitations, so far the tool has recorded improvements  in indicators. The Health Records and Information Officers (HRIOs) diligently track indicators across the sub- counties.Kinanga reports that the quarterly updates provided by the VSP gives valuable insights.

Looking forward, the health department remains committed to addressing the financial and operational challenges.Plans for policy changes, including domesticating the national Facility Improvement Fund (FIF) framework, are underway to make sure the allocated funds reach the intended areas. “Policy measures are important for sustaining PHC investments, they provide the legal framework we need, to ensure funds are used effectively for intended purposes,” noted Dr. Watta.

Bungoma’s journey with the VSP tool highlights the vital role of both financial and policy commitment to strengthen health systems. This tool brings renewed hope for building a resilient PHC framework, equipped to track outcomes, allocate resources effectively, and ultimately, improve health service delivery across Bungoma County. With continued advocacy and strong partnerships, Bungoma is well on its way to achieving a more effective, responsive PHC system, grounded in data and dedicated to sustainability.

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