Kenya Flood: Access To Clean Water Essential
Children's Lives Saved With Enriched Food
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- A baby with flies on its face, which can transmit bacteria leading to trachoma. © CBM / Argum / Einberger
According to the UN, the lives of more than 700,000 people are endangered by heavy rains and floods in Kenya. CBM’s partner have provided additional nutrition for young children. Access to clean water is also essential to prevent people from going blind from trachoma.
After a period of drought, Northern Kenya experienced heavy rains with flooding of land in the last 4 weeks. It will take some six to nine months for cattle livestock in particular to calve and start milk production. This type of milk is an essential part of pastoralist diet. CBM’s partners in the districts of Marsabit, Samburu and North Meru provide supplementary nutrition to young children to bridge the gap in food supply.
After a period of drought, Northern Kenya experienced heavy rains with flooding of land in the last 4 weeks. It will take some six to nine months for cattle livestock in particular to calve and start milk production. This type of milk is an essential part of pastoralist diet. CBM’s partners in the districts of Marsabit, Samburu and North Meru provide supplementary nutrition to young children to bridge the gap in food supply.
Nutrition supplements saved children’s lives
About 4,500 children, aged 0-5 years in Northern Samburu and Southern Marsabit Districts, were assisted with enriched food, de-worming medication, multivitamins, and malarial control treatment. The local communities appreciated the timely assistance, which has in some cases prevented children from dying and helped others to remain well nourished during extreme weather periods.
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The Massai woman Soyentet ene Nenchuyu suffers from trachoma. Her eye is being examined by eye nurse Patrick Kibe in Kenya.
Trachoma causes the inversion of eyelashes and corneal scarring. This is not only very painful, but leads to blindness, if left untreated. © CBM / Argum / Einberger
Mosquito nets to prevent trachoma
Trachoma is a bacterial infection of the eye. If untreated, the infection leads to conjunctival scarring and the inversion of the eyelashes. This causes scarring of the cornea and leads to incurable blindness. The bacteria may be carried by flies that have come in contact with discharge from the eyes or nose of an infected person. Against the increased numbers of mosquitoes and flies due to the unusually heavy rains, CBM’s partners distributed 3,000 mosquito nets, which have been readily used in households.
Access to clean water helps to control trachoma
The bacteria leading to trachoma can be easily transmitted, if a person gets in contact with eye discharge of an infected person. Thus, a good personal hygiene and the washing of hands and face is essential. Face-washing is part of the SAFE Strategy, the World Health Organisation recommends to fight trachoma.
Though, it is difficult for people without access to clean water to keep a sufficient level of hygiene to prevent the transmission of bacteria leading to trachoma.
To provide people in Nol Pilipili with clean water, CBM’s partner developed a water source in the Kulal Mountains in collaboration with the community. An 8 km pipeline was constructed with the help of the community to deliver 22 litres per minute of water to a 15,000 litre tank. Three distribution points and a livestock watering trough were constructed. Six persons were trained in the maintenance of the system. Approximately 2,000 persons have directly benefited from the water project.
The local partner in Nol Pilipili has noted a significant change in facial hygiene, and members of the community said that “we never could imagine or think of using water to bath or wash clothes before the water came.”
Technical assessments will be the basis for further implementations of community based water projects in 2007/08 in Northern Kenya. The partners of CBM aim to improve the local availability of equipment needed to dig wells, and therefore the local production of items is addressed.
Though, it is difficult for people without access to clean water to keep a sufficient level of hygiene to prevent the transmission of bacteria leading to trachoma.
To provide people in Nol Pilipili with clean water, CBM’s partner developed a water source in the Kulal Mountains in collaboration with the community. An 8 km pipeline was constructed with the help of the community to deliver 22 litres per minute of water to a 15,000 litre tank. Three distribution points and a livestock watering trough were constructed. Six persons were trained in the maintenance of the system. Approximately 2,000 persons have directly benefited from the water project.
The local partner in Nol Pilipili has noted a significant change in facial hygiene, and members of the community said that “we never could imagine or think of using water to bath or wash clothes before the water came.”
Technical assessments will be the basis for further implementations of community based water projects in 2007/08 in Northern Kenya. The partners of CBM aim to improve the local availability of equipment needed to dig wells, and therefore the local production of items is addressed.
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Eye nurse Patrick Kibe puts tetracycline ointment into the eyes of the Massai woman Norgidoipi ene Moranya (26), who is suffering from trachoma, to treat the current infection. This was in 2003 - since then, other antibiotics have shown good results and are being used by CBM's partners as well. For further information refer to the study: Operational Comparison of Single-Dose Azithromycin and Topical Tetracycline for Trachoma.
The CBM-supported project is run by CBM's local partner the African Inland Church (AIC) in Kenya. It provides people in Northern Kenya with primary eye care and refers people living in remote villages to other centres to undergo surgery, if required. © CBM / Argum / Einberger
Medical Eye Care in Northern Kenya – plans for 2007
In November, CBM’s partner in Arsim, the Evangelical Lutheran Dispensary screened over 700 children and 400 adults for trachoma levels during 5 outreach visits in Arsim, Sedai, Illaut, Ntil and Ngurunit. Eighteen to 42% of children, and 22% to 42% in adults were infected with trachoma bacteria.
A government cataract surgeon visited Arsim to perform a pre surgical outreach survey and to make plans for 2007. In addition, the government provincial ophthalmologist from Nakuru will organize a surgical camp to perform operations on the eyelids of patients suffering from trachoma at Arsim project in the first quarter of 2007. Surgical outreach teams will also be organized to provide additional cataract and trachoma-related surgeries.
Read more:
What is Trachoma?
WHO Aims To Eliminate Blindness From Trachoma By 2020
Famine in Kenya: Children in Danger of Loosing Their Sight
Further information: www.trachoma.org
A government cataract surgeon visited Arsim to perform a pre surgical outreach survey and to make plans for 2007. In addition, the government provincial ophthalmologist from Nakuru will organize a surgical camp to perform operations on the eyelids of patients suffering from trachoma at Arsim project in the first quarter of 2007. Surgical outreach teams will also be organized to provide additional cataract and trachoma-related surgeries.
Read more:
What is Trachoma?
WHO Aims To Eliminate Blindness From Trachoma By 2020
Famine in Kenya: Children in Danger of Loosing Their Sight
Further information: www.trachoma.org
