CMMB Kenya History
Since 2001, CMMB has provided health solutions to vulnerable communities, reaching some of Kenya’s most remote regions. Like the women and children, we serve, we call Kenya home. With our shared commitment to healthier lives, we continue a long tradition of service.
Inception of the Catholic Medical Mission Board
CMMB began serving communities in Kenya, marking the beginning of our work to bring health and hope to women and children nationwide.
We established our first faith-based Prevention of Mother to Child Transmission of HIV (PMTCT) pilot in North Kinangop Mission Hospital in Kenya.
Rapid scale-up of lifesaving HIV/AIDS services
From 2004 to 2012, CMMB rapidly scaled up access to lifesaving PMTCT services in 92 sites across 7 provinces in Kenya (2004-2007). In addition, in partnership with Catholic Relief Services, CMMB worked closely with leading public health organizations to ensure high-quality standards of care, contributing knowledge that would drive international standards for HIV/AIDS service delivery and scale up HIV treatment to 25000 patients.
CMMB Helps Introduce Mentor Mothers into Kenya
CMMB Kenya helped launch and host Mothers2Mothers (m2m) as they expanded into Kenya, were adopted by the Ministry of Health, and scaled up across the country.
We jointly managed a PMTCT support program through education and empowerment to prevent mother-to-child transmission of HIV/AIDS during pregnancy, combat stigma, and support mothers’s adherence to medical treatment, hence reducing the likelihood of AIDS orphans. We reached 120,229 clients at 50 sites across Kenya.
Voluntary Medical Male Circumcision (VMMC)
CMMB implemented a voluntary medical male circumcision (VMMC) program in Western Kenya as part of its HIV prevention efforts and was instrumental in the national scale-up. (2009-2018)
Medical Volunteer Program
The first group of international medical resident volunteers travelled to Eastern Kenya, expanding CMMB’s capabilities.
Each year, international volunteers visit Kenya at selected program sites to help bridge the gap in access to healthcare and also learn from their counterparts.
Preventing and Treating HIV at Faith-Based Health Facilities in Kenya
Between 2012 and 2018, this HIV prevention, care, and treatment program, led by the Kenyan organization Christian Health Association of Kenya (CHAK) and based at 20 faith-based health facilities in the Eastern, Central, Coast, and Nairobi regions, worked with 38,000 patients and achieved a retention rate of 82.5 percent on antiretroviral therapy (compared to 60 percent nationwide).
CMMB’s role was to strengthen health facilities’ service delivery systems. We provided direct assistance in the areas of human resources, leadership, governance, financial management, and compliance with U.S. government rules and regulations. We also built staff capacity in those areas and introduced an innovative system for electronic document sharing and reporting.
Children and Mothers Partnership Program (CHAMPS)
CHAMPS is CMMB’s global signature program, introduced in 2014 in last mile communities. CHAMPS has reduced maternal and child mortality and improved maternal and child health in Kenya.
DREAMS—Tusaidie Wasichana Waelimike (2016-2018)
CMMB, in partnership with PEPFAR and JSI, implemented the DREAMS (Determined, Resilient, Empowered, AIDS-free, Mentored, and Safe) initiative to reduce HIV rates among adolescent girls and young women in high-risk regions like Kenya and Zambia. The program focused on:
HIV program under the Global Fund (GFTAM)
Since 2018, CMMB’s comprehensive strategy to raise HIV awareness, prevent new infections, and provide care and treatment to those living with HIV has benefited nearly 140,000 people. Our focus on vulnerable populations has been impactful in the fight against the HIV epidemic in Kenya’s hardest-hit regions of Western Kenya. CMMB has built a robust rights-based community-driven response of impactful outreach, awareness, and advocacy efforts, supported by 660 community owned resource people (CORPs).
Delivering Health Solutions to Women and Children
CMMB launched a new strategy for its signature CHAMPS program, expanding its service to the most vulnerable populations. The Strategy worked to deliver high impact Maternal and Child Health interventions at households, conduct targeted interventions for community resilience and enhance affordable and quality primary health care at facilities.
Malaria Prevention Program (2018 – Present)
With support from The Global Fund (GFTAM) and in partnership with AMREF, CMMB has been working to reduce malaria cases and deaths in Kenya’s high-risk counties (Nyamira, Kisii, Kericho, and Nandi).
Key Focus Areas:
1. Prevention & Treatment—Strengthening community health systems and clinics.
2. Malaria Community Case Management (CCMm)—Ensuring timely diagnosis and care.
3. Malaria in Pregnancy (MIP)—Protecting expectant mothers and newborns.
Strengthening Cancer Care in Kitui County
CMMB, in partnership with the Bristol-Myers Squibb Foundation (BMSF), implemented two impactful phases (2017–2020 and 2022–2025) of a cancer care program in Kitui County, focused on increasing awareness, screening, and treatment of breast and cervical cancer. Through health system strengthening, policy advocacy, community engagement, and research, the program expanded access to life-saving services.
Pandemic Response
As the COVID-19 pandemic caused a global public health crisis, CMMB responded in Kenya. We distributed critical personal protected equipment (PPE), soap and sanitation supplies to healthcare providers and offered virtual cross country training sessions.
Prevention and Treatment of Tuberculosis
Since 2022, CMMB has implemented a holistic community-based TB strategy focused on elevating care, halting the spread of the disease, reducing the risk to others, and addressing drug-resistant TB and TB/HIV co-infection. These efforts have improved the health outcomes for over 10,000 individuals in high-burden remote areas of Kenya.
Preventing Gender-Based Violence
CMMB’s Breaking the Silence (BTS) project worked to reduce incidences of sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) and provide holistic support to survivors of gender-based violence and their witnesses in Siaya County.
CMMB constructed and equipped a child protection unit and gender desk at Yala police station to provide a safe space for survivors of gender-based violence and their witnesses.
Non-Communicable Diseases Initiative
CMMB launched a pilot project to accelerate access to NCD care, treatment, and control for people living with type 2 diabetes and hypertension in 10 pilot counties in Kenya.
Centre for Medical Mobilisation Board (CMMB) is born
In recognition of its leadership and local priorities, Catholic Medical Mission Board (CMMB) in Kenya transitioned to the Centre for Medical Mobilisation Board.
CMMB in Kenya is an affiliate of the CMMB Inc. Global Network.
CMMB’s Global Network
Centre for Medical Mobilisation Board (CMMB Kenya) works in partnership with CMMB Inc. as a member of its global network. As a local NGO, we operate independently but remain united in our mission, vision, and values—our pursuit of healthier lives worldwide.
