Urgent response required to address malnutrition cases

Child screened for malnutrition in Turkana County. [File, Standard]

Some parts of our country are having it rough because of food insecurity, which has caused malnutrition among children.

In north-eastern parts of Kenya, an ongoing drought rages following three consecutive seasons of failed rains, making an already dire food insecurity situation worse.

Marsabit County is now at a level three crisis phase of high or above-usual rates of acute malnutrition.

Despite the prolonged drought, the region has seen underinvestment in nutrition from the county and national governments. If the medical and humanitarian assistance doesn’t improve, this situation may continue for a longer period, which will see a lot of people suffering to a point of death.

This is just an example of the many places which urgently require a critical need for consistent, quality and adequate amount of food distribution. 

Long-term solutions must be found to help people access water, an issue which continues to impact children’s health.

County governments should be working with the Ministry of Health and partners to strengthen the medical component of nutrition management activities in these affected areas.

The Health ministry should in a quick way support screening, diagnosis and management of acutely malnourished children. Surveillance has increased the number of children who have access to this care.  

The Ministry of Health and partners should conduct outreach activities to support the integrated management of acute malnutrition in some sub-counties.

These activities should be sustained regularly, to help in the identification of malnourished children and follow-ups in the community.

With these challenges, the government should release the humanitarian assistance funds to these areas to save the lives of Kenyans.

Letter from Wathiha John, Maseno.