• In Isiolo, 790 mothers are dying out of 100,000 deliveries.
• Long distances to health facilities, FGM and early girl marriages among contributing factors.
Image: MAGDALINE SAYA
The rates of deaths of mothers and infants remain high in Isiolo county even as the Universal Health Coverage pilot ends next month.
The county was selected to pilot the UHC programme alongside Kisumu, Nyeri and Machakos counties.
The pilot was launched last December by President Uhuru Kenyatta.
Isiolo has hired more than 120 nurses during the UHC pilot period and heavily relies on the services of community health volunteers.
The health facilities in Isiolo have seen an influx of patients from other neighbouring counties seeking treatment.
The high maternal and child mortality rates have been attributed to various factors including the nomadic nature of the communities in the Northeastern region including Marsabit and Garissa counties.
Isiolo Governor Mohammed Kuti on Tuesday said even though the UHC has had an impact in the region, other challenges such as long distances between health facilities remain a challenge.
“When talking about maternal and child health especially in the nomadic setup found among the Northern nomadic communities of Isiolo Marsabit and Garissa, you realise that the highest maternal mortality in Kenya is actually in those areas,” Kuti said.
The areas have been left behind on development where even medical facilities are very far apart, he said.
“For example, the average distance between health facilities is more than 49km in Isiolo when you compare that with WHO recommendation of 5km,” Kuti said.
This has led to the high maternal mortality in the county which is double the national average.
In Isiolo for instance, 790 mothers are dying out of 100,000 deliveries. The same applies to infant mortality.
“Then we have the aspect of culture, where we have girls getting married very early yet the pelvis is not well developed. FGM is also another challenge because the scarring makes the situation worse while the distance of the facilities compounds the problem,” the county boss noted.
He, however, notes that the county government is trying to reduce the distances by building more health facilities.
The county has further invested in ambulances making it easier to reach those in hard to reach areas in terms of emergency.
Kuti noted that the success of the UHC will be investing in community health service and empowering the communities to take control of their health.
The county, for instance, trains CHVs who handle about 20 households each.
The CHVs have a smartphone where there is information to help diagnose issues like basic diseases.
“It gives them a diary that informs them about health education so that these mothers can attend four antenatal clinic visits so that high-risk mothers could move to the facilities that could do cesarean section in good time,” he said.
The CHVs have also been tasked with ensuring children go for immunisation and teach about simple communicable diseases.
They also advise on things like washing hands before feeding and after visiting the toilet, issues of diagnosing diarrheal diseases and having the ORS that could reduce the dehydration.
The county boss reiterated that there is a need to improve Level 2 and 3 facilities such as dispensaries and equip them with technology.
“If simple ultrasound could be done at those small facilities then those diagnoses could be done earlier and save a lot of mothers hence reducing on maternal and child mortality,” he noted.
(edited by O. Owino)