The County Government, in collaboration with the International Rescue Committee Core Group Partners Project (IRC-CGPP), has concluded assessment of health surveillance and response capabilities in border facilities in Turkana West.
The evaluation aimed at enhancing the preparedness of local health facilities to manage contagious diseases, particularly those that could easily cross the borders as a result of the area’s proximity to neighboring nations of Uganda, South Sudan and Ethiopia.
The assessment process involved facility reviews and community interactions to identify improvements under the One Health approach.
The approach integrates human, animal, and environmental health strategies, for addressing the challenges faced by border facilities.
Over the five-day period, teams conducted visits to Oropoi, Nadapal, Nakururum, Nanam, Nalapatui, Loreng, and Lokipoto.
The Deputy Director of Public Health Daniel Esimit reinforced the importance of the findings saying, “This assessment has provided critical data, which will steer our decision-making and strategic planning in managing health across the county.”
He further elaborated that going forward, with the information they have, they were better positioned to refine the approaches to disease prevention and outbreak management.
Turkana West Sub-county Medical Officer of Health Joel Lochor noted the value of the assessments saying, “The insights from the assessments are critical for fine-tuning our local health strategies”.
In addition to this, the IRC-CGPP Manager Isaac Kiroso underscored the importance of the partnership between IRC and the County Government in conducting the health assessments.
“This collaboration is essential for addressing the complex health challenges across our 19 cross-border facilities,” said Kiroso.
He reaffirmed IRC-CGPP’s commitment to continue supporting capacity building and sustainable One Health initiative within the county.
Similarly, the teams evaluated emergency response protocols and the efficiency of resource management to rapidly and effectively address outbreaks.
Those present during the assessment were; senior health, veterinary officers and representatives of the Sub-County Management Team.
By Peter Gitonga
