Over 200, 000 residents of Narok West Sub-county are set to benefit from the ongoing free trachoma Mass Drug Administration (MDA).
Speaking during the inspection of the ongoing MDA campaign in Mulot area, the Narok County Eye Care Coordinator, Rostan Lekuye, called on residents to turn-up in large numbers so as to eliminate the disease in the area.
He said the County Government and Operation Eyesight Universal, a Canadian Charity Organisation, are collaborating, to ensure that the process is a success and reaches as many people as possible.
Lekuye said the drugs are administered in two forms which is, syrup for the children aged one to six years old and three tablets for children aged 7 to 14 years old, while those above 14 years old are given four tablets each.
According to the medic, their main target is schools and churches, where they can get a large population in one place.
Narok County Director of Public Health, Edward Tankoi, said the community health volunteers are moving door to door administering the drug, in an exercise that began on 15th January and will run upto 19th January, 2024.
“We are targeting to reach to about 209, 000 people across Narok West Sub-county. The Community Health Volunteers (CHV) are distributed in all the wards in the county with a hope of reaching as many people as possible,” said the director.
They spoke at the Kilusu area in Mulot Ward where over 1, 000 people received the dose, most of whom were women and children.
One of the CHVs, Ms. Sylvia Chelangat, said the reception of the drug has been positive, however, observed that a large number of those who volunteered for the drug are women and children.
One of the challenges the exercise is facing, she said, is the heavy downpour that has limited their movement as many roads are impassable.
This comes at a time when trachoma prevalence has dropped from 30 percent in 2011 to 10 percent in 2023, with Narok West Sub-county recording the highest at 11.5 per cent in 2023.
The ultimate goal of the exercise is to eradicate trachoma to below 1 percent prevalence in the county.
By Ann Salaton and Amos Maine
