Nairobi, Kenya, March 29th, 2022 – Medtronic LABS and the Kenya Ministry of Health announced today the extension of Empower Health , a groundbreaking public-private partnership that combats Kenya’s most severe chronic diseases, such as high blood pressure and diabetes.
The cooperation will use the Technology Medtronic LABSand community-based care approach to better connect patients to their health information, clinical assistance, and medication needs, to lower barriers to care for these conditions.
The effort will expand Empower Health’s reach to more than 300,000 individuals in Kenya’s 47 counties, nearly tripling the organization’s present patient impact. Currently, Medtronic LABS programming has assisted in the screening of 210,000 people and the enrollment of 40,000 people with diabetes and/or hypertension into care, with 52 facilities participating in the program’s implementation.
Over the next three years, the program will be implemented across Kenya and will be completely integrated into the country’s digital health ecosystem.
Screening, diagnostics, risk stratification, and case management will all be available as part of the expanded program, which will assist improve clinical results faster and more efficiently. The Ministry of Health, Medtronic LABS, World Diabetes Foundation, Kenya Defeat Diabetes Association, PATH, Novo Nordisk, Novartis, Viatris, and the NCD Alliance of Kenya are among the current program’s partners.
“Our joint mission is to strengthen the health system here in Kenya by creating programming that addresses chronic diseases – which are a major public health concern here in Kenya,” said Ruchika Singhal, President of Medtronic LABS.
“Empower Health connects the healthcare system by providing custom technology to support community health workers, and partners with patients and local leaders to enable better patient outcomes. We’re proud that the program has been so successful thus far and are looking forward to expanding our impact to sustainably help more Kenyans access the healthcare and technology they need.”
Empower Health, a technology-enabled, patient-centered model of care with a community health approach to chronic disease, was launched in 2017 by the Kenyan Ministry of Health, the County Governments of Makueni, Kakamega, and Nyeri, Medtronic LABS, and the Kenya Defeat Diabetes Association.
The backbone for the program’s connectivity is the Medtronic LABS platform “SPICE,” a software solution developed to help community health managers manage chronic disease in place.
The extension was revealed at a roundtable discussion that brought together several leaders to talk about how to treat chronic diseases in Kenya and how the partners might collaborate to promote the program’s nationwide expansion.
