Late payment of the agreed Ksh 2,500 stipend from the national government, plus an additional Ksh 2,500 from county authorities, has been identified as a key factor behind mental‑health challenges among community health providers (CHPs).

Research conducted in Nairobi and Kiambu counties by Lvcthealth found that 95% of Kiambu respondents and 93% of Nairobi respondents consider their stipend inadequate or unfair.

The study also recorded that between 92% and 94% of CHPs regularly incur out‑of‑pocket expenses for transport, airtime and medical costs when referring community members, further straining their finances.

Mental‑health screening revealed that 22.4% of CHPs showed symptoms of depression, 30.6% reported anxiety and 12.7% experienced stress, with urban informal settlements in Nairobi reporting markedly higher rates than Kiambu.

Performance appears linked to mental‑health status: only 12% of Nairobi CHPs reported completing tasks on time compared with 34% in Kiambu.

Lvcthealth has begun addressing these issues by delivering mental‑health literacy and self‑care packages to 500 CHPs in Nairobi and Kiambu, combining direct training for 120 workers with a cascade model through supervisors for the remaining 380.

The broader workforce comprises 107,000 community health volunteers equipped with kits and eCHIS phones, each responsible for 100 households and supervised by Community Health Assistants.

The study was carried out in partnership with the African Population and Health Research Center, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine and BRAC James P Grant School of Public Health.