Systems Change

Lwala’s Community-Led Model is Uniquely Positioned to Transform Health Systems

Lwala believes that communities have untapped potential to solve the world’s most pressing challenges. Our systems change work is rooted in amplifying the voices of our communities. This means empowering community health workers (CHWs) and community committees to have a seat at the decision-making table and to meaningfully engage in policy processes. This bottom-up change promises holistic solutions that are custom-built for the systems they are meant to reform.

Building a Model County of Community-Led Health


Constitutional changes in Kenya have devolved health services to county governments, making the county the relevant unit of scale. By driving health improvements in Migori, a county with a population of 1.1 million and some of the worst maternal and child health outcomes, we can create a model for the wider health system.

Lwala is committed to supporting Migori County as it pursues high-quality health for all. We will accompany the county to adopt and implement community-led health principles including: activating community health committees, incorporating traditional birth attendants, effectively paying and supervising CHWs, and integrating primary health delivery.

When Communities Lead, Systems Change


Lwala is committed to accompanying the Government of Kenya in its ambitions to achieve Universal Health Coverage. We know that systems-wide reform will be won through collaboration, not competition. That’s why we are investing in coalitions of communities, frontline health workers, civil society organizations and government. Together, we are supporting the refinement of national guidelines and policy frameworks.

In 2020, Kenya released a new Community Health Strategy 2020 – 2025. It represents big wins for CHWs and citizens, including: progress towards professionalized CHWs, community engagement, and equitable distribution of care. The success of this strategy relies on developing county-level capacity, tools, and infrastructure to deliver care. Lwala is committed to walking this journey with the Ministry of Health. 

From Localized Impact to Global Influence


We are producing peer-reviewed research and building the global body of knowledge around health equity. We are working to package, measure, disseminate, and train on community-led health principles for use by peers, government actors, and the global health community. We can’t reach everyone, but our research can.

Our research

"The Ochieng’ brothers’ accomplishment in forming the Lwala Community Alliance is a well-known and inspiring example to everyone in the United States and abroad who is involved in global health."

- Doctor Jim Yong Kim, President of the World Bank

Agency, health, and wholeness of life.

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