Life-saving medical services have proved to be profound especially when they are brought closer to the people.
Every day families are struggling with various ailments that can lead to death if one cannot get the much-needed medical attention.
In March 2023, Turkana County declared a measles outbreak following the confirmation of cases and since then eight deaths have been reported.
Additionally, many communities continue to grapple with a persistent Malaria outbreak.
Since June, MSF has been working with the Turkana West sub-county team in combating the dual threat of Measles and Malaria through mass vaccination, integrated case management, treatment at two health facilities, and vital medical outreach at the community level.
At least 26,862 children have been vaccinated in the mass measles vaccination campaign in the vast sub-county reaching villages over 170 kilometres away.
This is accompanied by strengthened health promotion through community engagement, sensitization, and surveillance.
The Ekope family from one of the villages in Lodakach is one of the families that bear the brunt of these diseases.
Hellen Adir is a worried mother. We meet at the community outreach in Lodakach ward.
With her are two of her three children, two-year-old son Ekidor Ekope and ten-year-old daughter Abenyo Ekope, who has accompanied her to the medical outreach.
Her daughter, Abenyo looks frail as she goes through triage.
The scorching sun makes her symptoms almost unbearable. She watches the medical team as they ask her mother questions.
“She started having pain in her joints, stomach and legs. I have come to get medication for her. I suspect it is malaria,” Hellen explains.
“For two weeks now, I have known no peace. The children have been sick one after the other. My five-year-old son Longem Ekope is currently home, recovering from measles and malaria too. I took him to the Lopur dispensary last week and he got treatment.”
Nancy Gichiki, MSF clinical officer checks Abenyo’s temperature and it is very high - consistent with what she has been witnessing in children and adults in the medical outreach activities.
She also observes some rashes around Abenyo’s ear and asks her to open her mouth checking for throat inflammation.
The symptoms confirm measles. The next step is to test for malaria as she has also complained of body aches. Her test turns positive, and her treatment must start now.
Abenyo is one of the 451 people who have been reported to have measles and 1475 with malaria in the Turkana West sub-county alone.
The diseases have affected many, from infants to the aged.
But this is not the only struggle for this pastoralist community unspared by the ravaging drought.
Its ugly impact is visible in the form of malnutrition among children, and pregnant, and breastfeeding mothers.
With livelihoods shattered due to the death of livestock, many are now struggling to secure enough food to feed their families.
A stone’s throw away, net distribution is ongoing.
During the response, 8403 nets were distributed reaching children under fifteen years and pregnant and lactating mothers.
Ekidor’s family received a mosquito net to protect him and his recovering brother and sister.
Today alone, the team has conducted over 100 medical consultations in Lodakach and 1,466 consultations at facilities and during the medical outreaches during the response.
