•This is due to contamination and an increase in the turbidity of open water sources and the high levels of open defecation in the ASAL areas
•A total of 19 counties have reported cases, with nine counties still reporting an active outbreak
Image: GEORGE OWITI
The United Nations Children's Fund (Unicef) has warned of a possible increase in cholera outbreaks across the country as a result of the ongoing rains.
Unicef in their latest situational report has raised concern that the run-off water from the ongoing rains is likely to exacerbate the faecal-oral transmission.
This is due to contamination and an increase in the turbidity of open water sources and the high levels of open defecation in the ASAL areas.
Due to the acute shortage of water, drought, and the availability of surface water after the rains, the report says, communities have resorted to using contaminated surface water sources instead of safe water sources like the rehabilitated and solar boreholes that are further from their settlements.
“It is therefore likely that the outbreak will increase and further spread to new outbreak hot spots in the riverine and lake areas, including in the Western region of Kenya and the urban informal settlements in major cities and towns,” Unicef says.
“This calls for increased needs for hygiene messaging and household water treatment, and upscaling of activities to cover additional counties,” it adds.
Unicef data shows that since the first case of cholera was reported on October 8, 2022, a total of 2,845 (36 per cent) of the cumulative 7,948 cases reported by March 31 this year are children under 10 years.
A total of 19 counties have reported cases, with nine counties still reporting active outbreaks.
They include Mandera (155), Nairobi (140), Kajiado (60), Samburu (38), Wajir (44), Machakos (20), Garissa (9), Marsabit (9), and Murang’a (1).
Overall, Garissa and Tana River counties have the highest attack rates at 260.1 and Tana River at 241.5 against the national rate of 35.6 per 100,000.
The cumulative number of deaths since the beginning of the outbreak are 131 (Case Fatality Rate of 1.6 percent), which is above the WHO threshold of less than one percent.
Among the 131 deaths reported, 63 (48 per cent) are from Nairobi, and Tana River counties, while Garissa and Wajir account for 24 (18 per cent) deaths in total.
“According to Kenya Red Cross Society assessments, since the onset March, April and May (MAM) long rains season, heavy rainfall and flash floods have been reported across 20 counties,” the report says.
They include Kisumu, Nyamira, Kisii, Kakamega, Siaya, Narok, Turkana, Isiolo, West Pokot, Bungoma, Elgeyo Marakwet, Marsabit, Samburu, Mandera, Wajir, Garissa, Nairobi, Kajiado, Kiambu and Nakuru.
At least 5,038 households have been displaced and 21 deaths reported.
The counties with the most displaced households are Wajir (3,765), Marsabit (450) and Mandera (338) with damage to schools and roads infrastructure and loss of livestock also having been reported across the ASAL counties.