- The nutrition trend is worsening in Isiolo, Kajiado, Kwale, Mandera, Marsabit, Narok, Wajir and West Pokot counties, while Baringo, Kitui Lamu Makueni Samburu Taita-Taveta have improved.
- The situation is stable in Embu, Garissa, Kilifi, Laikipia, Meru, Nyeri, Tana-River and Tharaka Nithi counties.
Image: Unicef Kenya/Lameck Orina
The nutrition situation has deteriorated and the trend is expected to continue following the cumulative effect of consecutive failed seasons.
This is according to the 2021 short rains mid-season food and nutrition security rapid assessment report which was released last week by the National Drought Management Authority.
The trend is worsening in Isiolo, Kajiado, Kwale, Mandera, Marsabit, Narok, Wajir and West Pokot counties, while Baringo, Kitui Lamu Makueni Samburu Taita Taveta have improved.
The situation is stable in Embu, Garissa, Kilifi, Laikipia, Meru, Nyeri, Tana River and Tharaka Nithi counties.
“Malnutrition status remains critical in Turkana, Samburu, Mandera, Wajir, Garissa, North Horr, Laisamis and East Pokot. It is in serious phase in West Pokot and Tana River, and the counties are projected to remain in the same phase for the next three months,” the report stated.
The Integrated phase classification for acute malnutrition conducted in July-August 2021, classified nutrition situation critical in Samburu (16.8 per cent), Baringo (24.4 per cent), North Horr (23.9 per cent) and Laisamis (23.4 per cent).
“Tana River and West Pokot counties were classified in serious phase while Saku and Moyale subcounties in Marsabit county were in alert phase. The nutrition situation was projected to worsen in Turkana, Samburu, Mandera, Garissa, Wajir, Isiolo and North Horr and Laisamis due to worsening food security situation,” said the NDMA report.
The mid-season food and nutrition security assessment report further indicated that cases of admissions for children aged 6-59 months with acute malnutrition have been on a downward trend due to stock out of commodities.
The assessment report showed that inadequate food in the households in Marsabit resulted in sharing of ready-to-use-therapeutic food with the rest of household members.
In Isiolo, increased admissions have been observed due to mass screening activities conducted in the county.
“High defaulter rates in Integrated Management of Acute Malnutrition programmes were reported in Samburu particularly in Samburu East subcounty. This was attributed to population movement in search of pasture to far interior areas away from health facilities,” the NDMA report said.
Nationally, in the month of October, a total of 490 (23.8 pre cent) health facilities reported ready-to-use-therapeutic food stock out while another 796 (38.7%) health facilities had RUSF stock out.
There was reported erratic supply of nutrition commodities in Kitui, West Pokot and Baringo however, as at the time of the mid-season assessment, Baringo county had received commodities from World Food Programme for management of moderate acute malnutrition to last for the next six months.
“Stock outs in the health facilities in Baringo and West Pokot were noted to lead to high defaulter rates for the malnourished children. Counties reporting adequate supply of commodities for management of moderate acute malnutrition include Samburu (WFP having supplied the county with three months’ stock) and Marsabit counties,” the report showed.
“Nutrition commodities for in patient management are available and adequate in Kitui, West Pokot, Turkana and Samburu. Acute stock outs for commodities for management of severe acute malnutrition cases were reported in Baringo, Kilifi, Marsabit (Moyale, Laisamis, and Saku subcounty),” the assessment report read.
NDMA added that integrated health and nutrition outreaches were ongoing across the counties except in Baringo and Samburu counties.
Moyale and Saku subcounties in Marsabit are not covered as partners pulled out, and mass screening is ongoing in Tana River county, Laisanmis and North Horr subcounties in Marsabit county.
-Edited by SKanyara