News Categories: Health and Sanitation

An early birth can mean a lifetime of disabilities

While other parents are counting happy milestones – baby’s first smile, first tooth, first steps – the parents of premature babies are counting heartbeats. Premature babies aren’t just small, they often face ongoing health challenges. More newborns die from premature birth than from any other cause.

This year in Nandi County, 224 babies have been born premature while another 972 were born underweight (2500gms).

World Prematurity Day to be marked on Thursday, November 28, 2019 at Serem Health Centre aims to raise awareness of prematurity and the concerns of preterm babies and their families worldwide because infants born preterm represent the largest child patient group.

Raising awareness of premature birth is the first step to defeating it. Please help us spread the word.

The county government of Nandi has embraced interventions towards improving, particularly emergency referrals and disaster response for the county residents hence it has greatly increased access to ambulatory services and health care to all residents, especially to the remote areas.

Cognizant of the services ambulances offer at different health facilities in the county, Governor Sang’s administration has focused on ensuring the ambulance services are prompt, affordable and accessible to support referral services and other urgencies.

The County Department of Health received a major boost with the acquisition of 10 state-of-the-art ambulances at a cost of Ksh. 58 million and will be distributed to various health facilities across the County. The ultra modern ambulances will support the ongoing efforts to improve and strengthen healthcare to Nandi residents.

Speaking at the Kapsabet County Referral Hospital while checking on the ambulances, Governor Sang said the county government is working to ensure that health services were available to all people by opening more health facilities and ensuring they were stocked with medicine and had adequate medical personnel.

The Governor said that the acquisition of ambulances and other equipment was aimed at enhancing referral health services and efficiency in the delivery of health services throughout the county.

On her part, the CEC for Health Ruth Koech explained that the ambulances will assist the county to expeditiously deal with medical emergency services especially accidents and other related medical complications.

She reiterated that this is a milestone for the department of health as it has been identified that increasing health system pressures cannot be resolved only by adding resources, but must also be addressed with new methods of service delivery.

The ambulances have complete radio call systems for easier communication and coordination and will help in reducing the response time.

Ambulatory services are the primary providers of a 24/7 response to medical and trauma related emergencies. Hence, will be working in coordination with the established County Call Centre for rapid response in transportation of patients in a variety of controlled, uncontrolled, and disaster environments. The general public is advised to make use of the TOLL FREE number 1548. This will enable them get assistance efficiently.

The County Government of Nandi in partnership with Nutrition International and United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) have launched the County Nutrition Action Plan (CNAP) to provide a framework for addressing nutritional challenges in the county.

The County Nutrition Action Plan (CNAP) 2019 – 2022 seeks to address breastfeeding, healthy feeding habits and malnutrition and is based on the Kenya National Nutrition Action Plan.

While speaking at the event, Governor Stephen Sang said the Nutrition Action Plan would go a long way in bridging the gaps in nutrition and moving the county towards the goal of a healthy population.

The Governor highlighted the importance of focusing on the first one thousand days of life and the commitment of his government under the County Nutrition Action Plan (CNAP) 2019 – 2022, to advance nutrition sensitive agricultural food systems that ensure optimal maternal and child nutrition.

The County boss lauded Nutrition International for injecting Sh. 5 million towards the elimination of malnutrition that caused maternal and infant mortality deaths among adolescent and young women in the County.

The Governor said that the County Government of Nandi has increased the number of Nutrition Staff from 18 in 2017 to 74 in 2019.

“We have a target of reducing malnutrition in our county by 50 percent in the next five years in line with the County’s priorities as outlined in the CIDP 2018-2022,” he said.

On his part, Nutrition International President, Joel Spicer said that there is no magic bullet for ending malnutrition in Nandi County noting that it requires progressive policymaking and proper implementation.

The County’s Nutrition Action plan will be used as a document for financing nutrition interventions and putting more emphasis on domestic financing which is key in sustainability of Nutrition programs.

The County Nutrition Action Plan was developed with the support from Nutrition International under the Technical Assistance for Nutrition (TAN) project, funded with UK-AID from the UK government. Other partners include (UNICEF), University of Eastern Africa Baraton and Academic Model Providing Access To Healthcare (AMPATH).

Present at the launch were Nandi Deputy Governor Dr. Yulita Cheruiyot, NI Regional Director Dr. Richard Pendame, several CECs, MCAs and Chief Officers.

The County Government of Nandi is joining a different health league in line with Governor Sang’s agenda of realising the Universal Health Care and reduction of maternal and neonatal mortality rates by establishing a modern maternity wing at Meteitei Sub County Hospital in Songhor/Soba Ward, Tindiret sub county.

The 18 bed mother and baby facility is a major milestone for Nandi County in achieving quality and efficient healthcare for mothers and their babies.

Upon its completion, the facility will have a 2 bed delivery room, 2 bed New Born Unit, 8 bed postnatal and 6 bed antenatal.

The County Executive Committee Member for Health Ruth Koech said the facility will greatly contribute to the attainment of universal health coverage agenda in the county.

“Stronger maternal health is essential to reducing poverty, ensuring healthy lives as well as achieving gender equality,” added Ruth.

The County Government of Nandi has also invested in other maternity facilities within the county including putting up of new wards and an operating theatre at Serem Health Center. There has also been modernisation of maternity wards at Kapkenda, Chepkemel, Kabiyet, Kapkolei, Kaptumek, Kiroongoi, Koibarak, Lolkeringet, Sigot, Kabiemit, Kabunyeria and Kibongwa health facilities.

Making available and retaining trained health personnel is the cornerstone of Nandi County’s strategic response to the increasing demand for medicare by the growing population and prevalence of life threatening
diseases.

To ensure that donor contracted health workforce sustainably and progressively fill in the existing gaps in human resources for health in the health sector for quality service delivery, the county government of Nandi has today transitioned over 39 Walter Reed Programme (WRP) health workers; Clinical Officers, Nurses, Laboratory and Pharmaceutical Technologists to the county government payroll as the donor is exiting Nandi program area.

While issuing letters of employment to the health workers, Governor Sang said the county was focused on providing quality and affordable health services adding that the Public Service Board had vetted the workers before employing them.

The donor-supported Health Workers Contracting model was adopted in 2006 by partners such as the WALTER REED, USAID, DANIDA, UNICEF, CDC, CLINTON Foundation and others in response to government’s appeal to hire and deploy health workers to both public and FBO health facilities.

Nandi County Assembly Committee on Implementation have committed to support the roll out of a countywide cancer awareness campaign programme to curb the ever-increasing cases of the disease.

Led by Kurgung/Surungai Ward MCA Hon. Pius Murrey, the MCAs said the disease is unknown by most people in their remote areas hence the need to educate them on the dangers of the disease especially among women.

Speaking at the Kapsabet County Referral Hospital, the MCAs said a majority of women were dying from the killer disease especially from cervical cancer since it is not diagnosed at early stages.

The Implementation Committee members noted that the disease could be treated if detected at its early stages, and that it was high time the people in the county got reliable information on it and its treatment so that they could voluntarily visit hospitals for examination and for them to know their status.

The members of the County Assembly Committee on Implementation had toured the Kapsabet County Referral Hospital to check on its preparedness to handle cancer cases.

Kapsabet County Referral Hospital Oncologist Patrick Kenei, echoed the leaders’ sentiments that a vigorous campaign against the disease should start immediately.

“We have now decided to carry out vigorous sensitisation campaigns to the locals so that they can go for an early screening to avoid increasing deaths”, he said.

The MCAs lauded the county department of health on the tremendous improvements on the county’s referral hospital.

Present were Songhor/Soba Ward MCA Hon. Justine Jepnyango and Terik Ward MCA Hon. Osborne Komen and the Kapsabet County Referral Hospital Medical Superintendent Dr. Daniel Kemboi.

Nandi Governor Stephen Sang has assured Nandi residents that the County Government will continue to ensure that county residents have access to quality basic healthcare services.

The governor gave the assurance while on a tour of the Kapsabet County Referral Hospital to assess the progress in the construction works at the facility’s Mother and Baby Complex.

He expressed hope that the provision of quality and affordable healthcare services would improve the health indices in the county, adding that his administration will fulfill all its promises made to the people of Nandi.

“I want to assure the great people of Nandi that my administration will continue to ensure that they have access to quality basic healthcare services,” he said.

According to the Governor, the vision of his administration is to revitalize all health facilities using a phased approach.

“So far, we have commenced the revitalization of one facility in each sub county,” he added.

The Governor also toured the County Call Centre and also checked on the Health Management Information System infrastructure.

All these developments are geared towards fulfilling the governors pledge of providing Universal and accessible Health Care to the people of Nandi as stipulated in his manifesto.

The Governor was flanked by the Deputy Governor Dr. Yulita Cheruiyot, Health CEC Ruth Koech, Chief Officer for Health Dr. Paul Lagat, Chief Officer for Transport and Infrastructure Jonah Biwott, Finance Chief Officer Meshack Malakwen Director Health Administration Dr. Philemon Bureti and Kapsabet County Referral Hospital Dr. Daniel Kemboi.

Philips Africa CEO Jasper Westerink and Roelof Assies the General Manager, Philips East Africa earlier today paid a courtesy call to the Nandi Deputy Governor Dr. Yulita Cheruiyot.

The agenda of the meeting was to familiarize with the County Government of Nandi and look at future partnerships, engagements and interactions between the two institutions.

Philips is a global leader in medical diagnostic imaging and patient monitoring. Philips’ healthcare innovation revolves around improving the quality and efficiency of healthcare through a focus on continuum of care, central to which is a patient-centric approach.

The team later toured Kapsabet County Referral Hospital. The officials commended the County Government of Nandi for the huge milestones made towards the realization of better health care for its people as it positively impacts their socio-economic welfare. They noted that this is proof of how impactful devolution can be with proper leadership and management.

Also present were the CEC for Health Ruth Koech and the Chief Officer for Health Dr. Paul Lagat.

In Kenya, cervical cancer has the highest incidence and is the most lethal cancer among women, after breast and esophagus cancer. Yearly, almost 5000 women are diagnosed while close to 2500 die.

Primary prevention through HPV vaccination has the potential to significantly reduce the incidence of cervical cancer and to eliminate cervical cancer disparity.

The County Government of Nandi through the Department of Health has moved to protect girls and women against the deadly cervical cancer by embracing a new vaccine.

The Department of Health today launched a free countywide vaccination against the human papillomavirus, which causes cervical cancer.

The launch was successfully held in all sub counties of Mosop, Chesumei, Emgwen, Nandi Hills, Aldai and Tindiret.

The drive targets girls aged 10 years. The Human papillomavirus (HPV) is the most common sexually transmitted infection (STI).

The vaccine will be administered for free through public health facilities.

The launch of the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination in the county makes Nandi become one of the first counties in Kenya to protect young girls against cervical cancer.

The HPV vaccination will be given to thousands of girls in Nandi county, with health education on HPV and cervical cancer, hygiene and hand washing being provided to both sexes.

The County Director of Health Dr. David Bungei said the new vaccine will be introduced soon in the county’s routine immunization schedule by the Department Health at health facilities and will also be made available through school outreach programmes.

Speaking at the launch held at St. Paul’s Catholic Church, Namgoi, the County EPI Coordinator Rachel Rop assured Nandi residents that the HPV vaccine is safe and aims at protecting adolescent girls against cervical cancer infection.

Anyone who is sexually active can get HPV, even if you have had sex with only one person. You also can develop symptoms years after you have sex with someone who is infected. This makes it hard to know when you first became infected.

Cervical cancer ranks as the first most
frequent cancer among women in Kenya and by the time that cervical cancer is diagnosed there is a 51% mortality rate.

The introduction of the HPV vaccine in Kenya, has the potential to significantly reduce cervical cancer deaths.

The County Government of Nandi through the Department of Health is set to roll out mass vaccination of girls against cervical cancer beginning tomorrow in all the six sub counties.

The exercise will officially be launched at St. Paul’s Catholic Church, Namgoi with sub county launches as follows; in Nandi Hills sub county at CCC Hall, Nandi Hills Hospital, Tindiret sub county will have the activity at Maraba Sub County Hospital, in Aldai at Kobujoi dispensary, in Mosop at Kapng’etuny dispensary and Chesumei at Mosoriot Market behind Cheptarit Youth Polytechnic and Emgwen at Chepkumia PEFA Church.

Girls aged 10 years will be given a free cervical cancer vaccine in a bid to rapidly build up their immunity. The girls in this age group are classified as a high-risk population.

The two free doses of the vaccine against the cancer-causing human papilloma virus (HPV), will be administered six months apart, at public, private and faith-based facilities across the county.

Cervical cancer is the second most common cancer in women and biggest cause of cancer deaths. Human Papillomavirus (HPV) is the primary cause of 99.7 per cent of all cervical cancer cases.

The disease claims about seven women in Kenya every day, about 3,000 per year, according to statistics from the MoH.

Earlier today, the department of Health held a sensitization forum with members of the county assembly and sub county administrators on the importance of the vaccine.

Speaking at the forum, CEC for Health Ruth Koech said the vaccine was a preventive measure and was cheaper than cancer treatment, and would bring down the local cancer burden.

“The work of a vaccine is to provide cushion before exposure and that is how they work better-because the body builds up defence against the virus and the vaccine is safe,” she said.

In attendance were the County Assembly Health Committee members, Director for Health Dr. David Bungei, religious leaders and other senior health officials.