Uasin Gishu County has moved to tighten its Gender-Based Violence (GBV) response after a stakeholder data review exposed gaps in reporting, follow-up and referrals across sub-counties.
Health officials, community leaders and partner organisations met in Eldoret City to examine GBV figures from across the county, map emerging trends and agree on actions to improve prevention, reporting and care for survivors.
Addressing the forum, County Director for Preventive and Promotive Services Laban Kiprop noted that fragmented work was undermining the response efforts.
“We cannot afford to work in silos. Coordinated efforts among all stakeholders are critical to ensuring that survivors receive the support they need, when they need it,” pointed out Kiprop.
He said better use of data and stronger referral pathways were essential if survivors were to reach medical, psychosocial and other services without delay.
County GBV Focal Person Ms Sophia Toroitich, who facilitated the meeting, said plans already agreed upon ought to be fully implemented in order to realize the targeted results.
“Our focus must be on tangible action, right from sensitizing communities and Community Health Promoters, to building the capacity of our health workers and strengthening GBV case management,” emphasized Toroitich.
“We must also deepen our engagement with community leaders, Community-Based Organizations and Civil Society Organizations to ensure no survivor is left behind,” she added.
At the end of the review, participants adopted a set of measures intended to make the county’s GBV response more consistent and survivor-centred.
These included consistent follow-up and support for survivors after they report a case, stronger links to the Social Health Authority and other support services for holistic care and reliable supply and use of the Ministry of Health GBV reporting tools at all health facilities.
Other resolutions were strengthening ongoing mentorship and training for health workers and upgrading the GBV module in the Ampath Medical Records System to improve data quality and tracking as well as faster referral of survivors who require legal help for justice services.
Participants described the meeting as a practical step toward a coordinated, data-informed and survivor-centred GBV response in Uasin Gishu County.
By Maurice Aluda
