Over 200 Community Health Volunteers (CHVs) from fourteen community units across the Turkana County have a reason to smile after USAID Nawiri donated to them tools to scale up maternal, child health and nutrition services.
The tools to be kept in the metal box for safe keeping, include identification jacket and badge, torch, first-aid kit, dosage mart for nutrition supplements, reporting tools, pneumonia beads and malaria testing kits.
In an event held at Ngitakio unit, the two hundred and ten (210) CHVs, are expected to use the tools to increase access to the treatment of moderate acute malnutrition of children under the age of five years, malaria and diarrhea.
Confirmed pneumonia cases are referred to the nearest health facility.
Speaking during the ceremony, County Health Executive Jane Ajele appreciated USAID Nawiri for training the CHVs saying it had greatly improved healthcare at the household level.
“The CHVs are the first point of health access and therefore need to be supported to achieve sustained reductions in persistent malnutrition among mothers and children below 5 years,” she said.
Health Chief Officer Dr Malcolm Lochodo said the support given to CHVs will assist the county health department in the operational activities.
“Training of CHVs on nutritional health will empower mothers in the community attain appropriate feeding habits to curb malnutrition,” he said.
On his part, Gabriel Ekuwam – Field Director of USAID Nawiri – said that organisation will increase the CHVs trainings to enable them detect early signs of nutrition deficiency diseases.
As the implementing partner, Save the Children Kenya Project Coordinator Akutan Lobolia assured the county government of its support in ensuring CHVs deliver nutrition health services to mothers and children.
By Peter Gitonga
