Participants during the Turkana County Health Rapid Response Team (CHRRT) meeting held on June 9, 2025.
One person is confirmed to have died of cholera since the first case of the highly communicable disease was reported last month in Kakuma.
Turkana County Health Rapid Response Team (CHRRT) was informed that since the first case of the disease was detected on May 18, only one fatality was confirmed amid fears that the highly contagious disease could further spread in the densely populated refugee camps in Kakuma.
A crisis meeting was held on Monday to evaluate the current status of the disease and come up with an action plan to contain further spread of the waterborne disease in the Kakuma and Kalobeyei settlement areas.
The purpose was to share updates on the current situation and ongoing response and highlight existing gaps in need of urgent support to contain further spread.
“As of June 8, 2025, there is one new case reported in Amusait Hospital, located in Kakuma Refugee Camp. Since the first case was reported on May 18, there have been a total of 74 reported cases, with 30 laboratory-confirmed cases and one fatality,” the Chief Officer for Preventive and Promotive Health, Jane Rose Tioko, said.
Tioko mentioned the county has initiated a rapid response in conjunction with relevant stakeholders to mobilise support for strengthening preventive measures within the host and refugee communities in Kakuma and Kalobeyei.
The team has already identified areas for strengthening response, including sensitising healthcare workers and community health promoters on cholera detection and case management, boosting water supply, and improving water treatment at both the water sources and household levels.
With the ongoing mass sensitisation efforts and community engagement, the team also highlighted the need for additional healthcare workers to support the teams on the ground and at the border points of entry.
The members present included technical working group leads, directors, and programme officers from the County Health Rapid Response Team.
