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High poverty levels in rural villages across Kilifi county continue to hinder residents from accessing quality healthcare services.

This concern emerged during a free integrated health screening medical camp at Kakuyuni Dispensary in Malindi subcounty.

The outreach was organised by the Rotaract Clubs of Malindi and Bahari Mombasa in partnership with the Kilifi county department of health, North Coast Medical Training College and Afya Hospital.

Geoffrey Mbura, a community health promoter from Kakuyuni village, said many residents remain unable to seek timely medical care due to economic hardship.

He said the situation has left a significant number of people living with untreated conditions, as they cannot afford the cost of healthcare services.

“Many people suffer from diseases that they cannot treat because of lack of money but with such kind of medical outreaches, many are being attended to,” Mbura said.

He also urged expectant mothers to seek professional care at health facilities, warning that maternal and infant deaths, though reduced, are still being recorded.

“The cases of women and babies dying during and after birth have gone down but we still recorded some and I urge all pregnant women to visit clinics so they can be monitored and give birth safely and to healthy babies,” Mbura added.

More than 700 residents benefited from the outreach, with Rotaract Club of Malindi president Elijah Odhiambo affirming their commitment to expanding such initiatives in underserved areas.

“Rotaract usually gives services to rural communities and we chose Kakuyuni after doing due diligence and discovering there were medical gaps in this community,” he said.

Lead clinician Erick Deje emphasised the need to decentralise specialised services such as eye and dental care to rural communities, noting that many residents cannot afford travel to urban centres where such services are currently available.

“At some point these integrated services need to come down to the rural area because services like eye and dental medication and treatment are only found in Malindi," he said.

"These people mostly can’t afford to travel long distances for such services hence there is need for these services to be devolved further even if it is once a month.”

Cecilia Kariuki, president of the Rotaract Club at Pwani University, confirmed that referred cases from the outreach will receive free treatment at Malindi Subcounty Hospital.

She challenged expectant women to visit health facilities so they can be handled professionally, adding that cases of women and babies dying during and even after birth were still being witnessed.

Youth were also encouraged to prioritise their health through regular checkups to help detect diseases early.

“I am calling upon my fellow youth that they should be having frequent medical checkups so that diseases such as cancer can be detected on time and be treated before they get to advanced stages,” said Grace Wanjiku, the president of the Rotaract club of Bahari in Mombasa county.

Residents who turned up for the exercise welcomed the initiative.

Alex Mkare said he had been battling ulcers and had resorted to traditional remedies due to lack of funds.

“I was not feeling well but I am confident after this process, I am going to feel fine,” Mkare said.

Instant analysis

The situation in Kilifi underscores the deep link between poverty and poor health outcomes in rural Kenya. Despite government efforts to expand healthcare access, economic barriers continue to prevent timely treatment, pushing residents toward unsafe alternatives or delayed care. Medical outreaches are helping bridge the gap, but they remain temporary solutions to a systemic challenge. High poverty levels in rural Kilifi county are limiting access to healthcare, leaving many residents with untreated illnesses. This was highlighted during a free medical outreach at Kakuyuni Dispensary that benefited 700 people. Health officials and organisers emphasised the need for regular checkups, improved maternal care, and the decentralisation of specialised services to better serve rural communities.