USAid donates health kits to 200 workers after nutritional health training

More than 200 Community Health Volunteers (CHVs) have received health kits donated by USAid Nawiri to improve health care.

About 14 communities benefited from the donations to scale up maternal, child health and nutrition services. The donations included a metal box with identification jacket and badge, a torch, a first-aid kit, a dosage mart for nutrition supplements, reporting tools, pneumonia beads, and malaria testing kits.

In an event held at the Ngitakio Unit, at least 210 CHVs are expected to use the tools to increase access to treatment of moderate acute malnutrition in children under the age of five, malaria, and diarrhoea.

County health department said pneumonia cases were referred to health centres nearby.

Speaking at the event, 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 Malcolm Lochodo said the support would help their department in its operational activities. “Training of CHVs on nutritional health will empower mothers to attain appropriate feeding habits,” he said. 

Field Director of USAID Nawiri, Gabriel Ekuwam said the organization will increase the CHVs training to 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.