The Bayer team visiting the family planning clinic at the Kibera Health Facility.
The Challenge Initiative (TCI) team had the opportunity to host a delegation from Bayer AG at Kibera Health Community Centre – one of TCI’s supported facilities in Nairobi County, Kenya. The April 15 visit provided an avenue for Bayer’s leadership to witness first-hand the transformative work being done to improve access to family planning (FP) services in East Africa.
TCI coaches based at the facility met with the Bayer team and offered insights into locally driven efforts to expand access to FP. Hugo Hagen, Country Division Head for Bayer’s Pharmaceuticals Division in the Middle East and North Africa, noted:
From boardroom presentations to on-the-ground experience, this visit provided a unique perspective. It’s one thing to review data and reports, but it’s an entirely different experience to walk through the corridors of a health facility, listen to the challenges and innovations from providers themselves, and see how young women and families are directly impacted. A field visit like this is truly an eye-opener – it brings the human stories behind the numbers to life and reminds us why our support matters.”
Despite commendable progress, the facility continues to face challenges such as commodity stockouts. The Facility In-Charge, Wilfred Riungu, shared proactive strategies being implemented to mitigate the issue. These include redistribution of commodities, coaching of County Pharmacists on effective commodity management, and partnerships with other stakeholders to bridge supply gaps.
The Bayer team also heard about community engagement efforts during their visit. Of particular interest was how Community Health Promoters (CHPs) are leveraged to generate demand for FP services. According to Jorge Levinson, Country Cluster Head for Pharmaceuticals in sub-Saharan Africa:
This strong link between the community and health services is essential in ensuring last-mile access to accurate, high-quality contraceptive information.”
Group photo with representatives from Bayer, Kibera Health Community Centre staff, and the TCI team.
In addition, the discussion spotlighted the unique needs of adolescents and youth, a key demographic requiring tailored FP services. Elizabeth Naini, the head of Nairobi County’s Adolescent Health Unit, outlined the county’s strategies for reaching this group – including training healthcare workers on youth-friendly service delivery, organizing targeted in-reaches and outreaches, and deploying youthful providers to enhance relatability.
Community dialogues also play a vital role in securing buy-in from parents and gatekeepers, fostering a supportive environment for youth access to services. Dr Asma Awadh, Kibera Sub-County Medical Officer of Health, highlighted the collaboration with TCI in developing a youth-focused toolkit that offers practical guidance and resources to enhance the quality of adolescent and youth reproductive health services.
The visit underscored the power of partnerships in accelerating access to family planning and demonstrated how locally driven solutions – with the right support – can significantly improve health outcomes.
