- Sarite said the health department has carried out 61 sample tests, with 53 of them categorised as highly suspicious.
- He said three suspected cases could have emanated from people who had travelled from the lower side of Ewaso Nyiro River.
Image: FILE
Isiolo residents have been urged to be wary of yellow fever disease, which has claimed the lives of seven people.
The disease is spread by a species of mosquito known as Aedes, which usually thrives in wet and bushy areas such as along the river banks.
County director of Public Health Guracha Kikuyu Sarite said using treated mosquito nets and clearing bushes are some of the most effective ways to combat the mosquitoes.
Sarite said the health department has carried out 61 sample tests, with 53 of them categorised as highly suspicious.
The samples, he said were subjected to advanced tests, where eight were confirmed as yellow fever cases.
The director said seven people have so far died as a result of the disease in Isiolo county.
He said some suspected cases have also been reported in areas around Isiolo town, hence the need to promote primary health care campaigns in the area.
However, Sarite said the three suspected cases could have emanated from people who had travelled from the lower side of Ewaso Nyiro River.
He said the Isiolo government in collaboration with other partners will soon roll out a fumigation exercise to get rid of mosquitoes.
Sarite said they will use insecticides that have been classified as suitable for the environment and do not affect people.
The fumigation exercise will be in partnership with the national government, the World Health Organization and local NGOs.
The director said community health workers and volunteers are already undergoing training on how to effectively carry out the fumigation exercise, which is expected to begin soon.
He said the most affected areas are the lower sides of Ewaso Nyiro, which include Biliqo, Bassa, Malkadaka, Gafarsa and Sericho.
At least 18,000 people will also receive aid in the form of treated mosquito nets and vaccines in order to curb further spread of the deadly yellow fever virus.
The government has also been challenged to address the handicaps, experienced during the pilot phase of Universal Health Care coverage.
The pilot phase was initially rolled out in Isiolo, Nyeri, Kisumu and Machakos counties.
The national coordinator of Public Health Movement Dan Owalla said the UHC pilot phase helped change the health seeking behavior among members of the public that resulted in long queues at hospitals.
He however said shortage of drugs and personnel should be addressed before the programme is rolled out in the rest of the country.
Owalla also decried the low uptake of Covid-19 vaccines in the country, leading to expiries.
He said Kenyans dropped their guard after the Health CS Mutahi Kagwe relaxed some of the containment measures.
(Edited by Bilha Makokha)