We are building a World Class Survivor Led Stroke Care System that Saves Lives, Restores Dignity, and Shapes Policy.
The Stroke Association of Kenya (SAoK) partners with Government and communities to build the complete stroke care continuum from prevention and emergency response to rehabilitation and long-term support.
We are proving that integrated, community based models can achieve clinical outcomes comparable to hospital care at 3% of the cost, creating a pathway for national scale within existing health systems and budgets sustainably.
Our Impact Signals
We measure impact through clinical outcomes, economic data, and system-level change.
Every figure below represents independently verified results from functional improvements measured by validated assessment tools to cost savings documented in partnership with county health departments.
This is how we demonstrate value to government partners and ensure accountability to the communities we serve.
What We Have Achieved in 2024/25. The Numbers That Tell Our Story.
Our Reach.
2,847 stroke survivors actively supported through our programs (as of February 2025).
89 Community Health Promoters trained and delivering rehabilitation services using WHO-adapted protocols adapted specifically for Kenya's context. These CHPs receive 5-day intensive training followed by monthly mentorship sessions, using simplified visual guides that work in low-literacy settings. The training covers physical exercises, speech therapy basics, and caregiver education, skills that CHPs can immediately apply in home visits without requiring specialized equipment.
6 counties with operational programs integrated into county health systems.
73% of survivors completing our 12-week rehabilitation program show measurable functional improvement (Modified Rankin Scale assessment).
Average cost per patient treated: $118 compared to $3,842 for facility-based rehabilitation. This cost includes CHP training, supervision, basic rehabilitation supplies (resistance bands, therapy balls), and monthly support group facilitation. The model works because we leverage existing government CHPs rather than hiring parallel staff, and rehabilitation exercises use household items instead of expensive equipment.
Health System Strengthening
Emergency Stroke Care Integration
Working with county ambulance services and emergency departments, we've introduced the FAST (Face-Arms-Speech-Time) stroke recognition protocol into pre-hospital response systems.
In Kiambu and Machakos counties, 312 ambulance crew members and emergency dispatchers now use standardized stroke assessment checklists that trigger immediate transport to facilities with CT scan capabilities.
We provide these facilities with simple visual job aids laminated for use in ambulances and triage areas. Early data shows ambulance-to-hospital handoff time reduced from an average of 47 minutes to 23 minutes where protocols are followed.
County Health System Integration
4 county governments have formalized partnerships with dedicated budget lines for stroke rehabilitation. What makes this sustainable is our approach: we don't ask counties to create new budget lines. Instead, we demonstrate how stroke services fit within their existing Community Health Strategy budgets.
2 county health departments (Nairobi and Kiambu) have integrated our training protocols into their Community Health Strategy workplans, meaning CHP stroke training now happens during regular county-led training cycles rather than requiring separate SAoK-funded sessions.
468 healthcare workers trained in basic stroke recognition and emergency protocols across partner counties.
These are facility-based nurses, clinical officers, and pharmacists who received 2-hour sessions during existing
Continuous Medical Education days requiring no additional venue costs or per diems.
Awareness and Prevention.
147 community awareness events conducted in partnership with county health departments, reaching an estimated 23,400 community members with stroke risk factor education. Rather than hosting standalone events, we integrate stroke awareness into existing community health dialogues, chief's barazas, and church health days reducing costs to an average of $15 per event while achieving higher attendance.
14 radio talk shows aired across 6 counties in both English and local languages (Kikuyu, Kisii, Luo), reaching approximately 380,000 listeners based on station audience data. Stroke survivors from our peer networks participate as guests, sharing personal recovery stories that resonate more powerfully than clinical messaging. Production costs are minimal as most county radio stations offer free health education slots.
18,000 printed education materials distributed through health facilities, covering stroke warning signs, risk factors (hypertension, diabetes, smoking), and when to seek emergency care. These materials use simple graphics developed with input from survivors to ensure clarity for varied literacy levels. County health departments handle printing using their existing communications budgets, with SAoK providing the designed templates
Blood pressure screening camps integrated into our community events have identified 1,847 individuals with undiagnosed hypertension, who were referred to local health facilities for management, demonstrating how stroke prevention connects directly to existing NCD care infrastructure. We don't operate parallel screening programs; we simply add stroke-specific messaging to county-run hypertension screening days.
Evidence Generation.
18-month longitudinal study (ongoing) tracking functional outcomes, cost-effectiveness, and quality of life improvements in 1,200 participants. This uses mobile data collection tools that CHPs complete during routine home visits, eliminating the need for separate research staff. Data feeds directly into county health information systems, making it useful for both our evaluation and county health planning.
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7968355/
https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/neurology/articles/10.3389/fneur.2021.785607/full
Baseline data established in Nairobi and Kiambu counties demonstrating 62% of survivors lack access to any form of rehabilitation.
Cost-benefit analysis completed showing $4.80 return for every $1 invested through reduced caregiver burden and improved economic productivity.
Partnership with the Kenya Medical Research Institute and the Amsterdam Medical University to validate model efficacy for peer-reviewed publication. Graduate students conduct fieldwork as part of their thesis requirements, significantly reducing research costs while building local evaluation capacity.
Current Model Performance.
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Why This Model Scales.
It works within existing infrastructure: Uses Kenya's 100,000+ Community Health Promoters already employed by counties, no parallel system needed. We identified that most CHPs spend only 60% of their available time on assigned tasks, meaning stroke rehabilitation can be added to their workload without requiring additional personnel. Counties pay CHP stipends regardless; we simply train them on additional skills.
Government can afford it: $118 per patient fits within current county health budgets; our model costs less than diabetes or hypertension management programs already funded. Critically, 70% of our per-patient cost is CHP time, already salaried by counties. The incremental cost to counties is only $35 per patient for supplies and supervision.
Replication accelerates with each county: Counties 4-6 launched with 60% less setup time than our pilot in Nairobi because we developed standardized training packages, supply procurement lists, and integration protocols that new counties can adopt immediately. County health teams now visit our operational sites to observe before launching, peer learning that costs nothing but builds confidence.
Clinical credibility from lived experience: SAoK's model was developed by stroke survivors and physiotherapists who themselves experienced the gap between hospital discharge and community reality. Our training materials reflect what actually works in homes without running water, electricity, or space for therapy equipment. This practical grounding makes our protocols more implementable than adaptations of Western rehabilitation models.
The Path to National Scale.
Year 1: Expand to 15 counties (32% of population) | Train 350 CHPs | Treat 12,000 survivors | Complete cost-effectiveness study.
Year 2: Reach 25 counties | Train 600 CHPs | Treat 25,000 survivors | Secure Ministry of Health adoption into Universal Health Coverage benefit package.
Year 3: Full national coverage (47 counties) | Train 1,200 CHPs | Treat 50,000+ survivors annually | Transition to 100% government funding.
Post-Year 3: Model operates within county health budgets | SAoK role shifts to quality assurance and technical support | Sustainable at scale without ongoing donor dependency.
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