Medics in Turkana worried as malnutrition among starving children soars
Turkana Governor Jeremiah Lomorukai visiting a family at drought ravaged Kaakalel village in Loima sub-county on November 7, 2022.
What you need to know:
Lodwar County and Referral Hospital CEO Dr Joseph Epem said malnutrition levels were crossing into the critical stage of wasting, especially among children under five
Dr Epem warned that if partners and well-wishers won't prioritise a combined scaled-up humanitarian response, the impact of the drought on vulnerable families will grow
Health professionals in Turkana County are concerned about the alarming number of children facing malnutrition, and specifically wasting as a result of the worsening drought that has affected more than 800,000 residents.
Wasting is the most immediate, visible and life-threatening form of malnutrition and it results from the failure to prevent malnutrition among the most vulnerable children
Lodwar County and Referral Hospital CEO Dr Joseph Epem warned that if partners and well-wishers won't prioritise a combined scaled-up humanitarian response, the impact of the drought on vulnerable families will grow.
Dr Epem said the drought has also ravaged pregnant women.
"At [Lodwar Referral] we have 157 children aged under five who are severely malnourished and 197 with moderate acute malnutrition currently on treatment. We also have 324 expectant mothers with moderate malnutrition on treatment," he said.
Critical stage
If the main hospital was recording such high cases, he said, malnutrition levels were crossing into the critical stage of wasting, especially among children under five.
"Those treated and discharged are not accessing food after two months and the same cases relapse. All we need is a multi-sectoral approach so that we reduce the relapse from the village back to the hospital," Dr Epem said.
Discharging children to the same environment where they didn't have enough food means they will be malnourished again, he said.
Ms Rose Namongo a nutrition officer at Lodwar County Referral Hospital speaking to mothers of children enrolled to treatment against malnutrition on November 7, 2022. Health professionals are alarmed by the high number of children exposed to severe wasting.
Dr Epem proposed that malnutrition be addressed with targeted food distribution as authorities look for a sustainable livelihood for specific households.
He recommended blanket supplementary feeding programmes, with cases identified in villages and prevented from becoming severe.
Ms Rose Namongo, a nutrition officer, said some mothers whose children are malnourished indulge in alcohol and drug abuse and stop taking their children to hospital for treatment.
"Some just decide to sell the food supplements for malnourished children or share it as a meal for the whole family," Ms Namongo said.
Prevention and treatment
Prevention and treatment of wasting should be prioritized, she added.
She gave the example of a severely malnourished child who lives with her poor grandmother after her irresponsible mother quit supporting her, saying such unique cases should be identified and supported.
The USAID Imarisha Jamii organisation said that nomadic residents in the border areas were migrating to Uganda, Sudan and Ethiopia.
The organisation has intensified health and nutrition outreach, sensitisation and mentorship of community health volunteers.
Turkana Governor Jeremiah Lomorukai said malnutrition levels were rising.
"There is a need for urgent intervention from all stakeholders because … the prevalence rates of Global Acute Malnutrition for the worst-hit sub-counties are Turkana East 40 percent, Loima 39 percent and Turkana North 38 percent," he said.
