Health programme will further public wellbeing

Granted Sh11.4 billion is not small change, but it is being channelled through Kenyan hands and may not seem like a lot anymore.

But the Sh11.4 billion-strong programme that Kenya and the US has rolled out to fight malaria, tuberculosis and other diseases in western Kenya is welcome relief indeed.

Such grant comes in the wake of suspension of HIV and Aids funding being frozen by the German government following queries of misuse.

The programme being implemented by the ministries of Public Health and Medical Services seeks to reduce deaths from these preventable diseases by improving nutrition among communities in Western and Nyanza provinces.

Tuberculosis and malaria are among diseases contributing to the high mortality rate.

It is not in question that a healthy populace will contribute positively to economic and social development. A sickly community is hardly what you need to attain Millennium Development Goals by 2015 or implement Vision 2030, economic blueprint.

The war against poverty, illiteracy and ill health that was the subject of Kenya’s first Sessional Paper on development is far from won. Every step counts.

Act professionally

The programme being run under the Aids, Population and Health Integrated Assistance (APHIA 11) project came to an end last year and has now been taken over by Aphia Plus, which will be expanded to allow new components.

Given Kenya’s suspect handling of similar grants in the past, it is hoped that those heading this initiative act professionally and transparently so that the target communities reap maximum health benefits as originally intended. That is our wish.