Community health workers may soon have an added responsibility.
Ministry of Health says it will work with counties to have CHVs identify men and women wasting away in alcoholism.
The ministry said the problem is rampant in Mt Kenya area, although independent studies show it is worse in other counties such as Nyamira, Isiolo and Kajiado.
Health CS Nakhumicha Wafula said the CHVs will begin their alcohol task next month.
“Alcohol and substance use have significant social and economic consequences beyond just health. Lost productivity, violence, STIs, teenage pregnancy, family pain, and harm to youth development are just some of the impacts. It’s time to address this issue as a society,” she said.
On Saturday, Nakhumicha also attended a conference on illicit brews, drugs, and substance abuse in the Central region, along with Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua, and Interior CS Kithure Kindiki.
She estimated there are about 90,000 community health workers, who can help the government in identifying individuals addicted to alcohol and provide necessary assistance.
People with Alcohol Use disorder can be assisted through counselling, medications, and mutual-support groups.
It is recognised as a medical condition when a patient’s drinking causes distress or harm.
Despite the excessive focus on Mt Kenya, there is no data that shows it is most affected.
The Rapid Situation Assessment of Drugs and Substance Abuse in Kenya, by the Campaign Against Alcohol and Drug Abuse (Nacada) shows current alcohol use is highest in Nairobi, Western and Eastern regions.
Central and Eastern have the highest tobacco use.
In September last year, researchers from the Kenya Medical Research Institute also compared alcoholism in Isiolo, Kajiado, Murang'a and Nyamira, all purposively selected based on studies which indicated that drugs and substance abuse was a priority health concern in these counties.
From each county, two sub-locations in one subcounty were purposively selected. In each sub-location, 225 households were systematically selected for interviews.
Additionally, in each county, qualitative data was collected through in-depth interviews with 16 opinion leaders, 16 healthcare personnel, 16 previous drug and substance abusers, 32 current abusers, and at least five county personnel.
The researchers also held 16 focus group discussions to collect more information on types, patterns and causes of substance abuse.
“Among the counties, the highest prevalence was observed in Nyamira 89.8 per cent, followed by Isiolo 88.1 per cent, Murang’a 85.5 per cent and Kajiado 79.5 per cent.
The highest prevalence was observed in people aged between 45 to 53 years, says the study, published in the Plos One journal last September.
It is titled, “Prevalence, types, patterns and risk factors associated with drugs and substances of use and abuse: A cross-sectional study of selected counties in Kenya.”
The most abused drugs and substances were packaged/legal alcohol (25.2 per cent), cigarettes (20.3 per cent), chang’aa (16.3 per cent), miraa (10.5 per cent), tobacco (6.7 per cent), prescription drugs (5.5 per cent), bhang’ (5.2 per cent), and muguka (4.9 per cent).
“According to the surveyed counties, packaged alcohol and cigarettes were the most abused drugs in Kajiado and Murang’a counties. Chang’aa and packaged alcohol were the most abused in Nyamira, while miraa and cigarettes were the most abused in Isiolo,” the survey showed.
In Murang’a, the results from the qualitative surveys established that male youths are most affected by the abuse.
Participants in the FGDs in Nyamira county reported that the problem cuts across all age groups and both genders.
For Murang’a county, in-depth interview results with current drugs and substance abusers further revealed some of the reasons for abuse include coping with stress, for fun, peer pressure and idleness. Persons who had previously abused drugs and substances mentioned stress, peer pressure, idleness and being brought up by abusive parents as reasons for their having been drug abusers.
Results from the FGDs with community group in Nyamira county also indicated that causes for drug and substances reported include peer influence, availability of the substances and drugs, unemployment of the youth, urbanisation, poverty and lack of parental care.
“Across the types of occupation, the fact that government employees were twice more likely to abuse drugs and substances may be attributed to having a stable income and therefore an increased ability to buy or obtain the drugs and substances of abuse,” the authors said.
-Edited by SKanyara