Day: October 14, 2023

The Department of Health in Homa Bay has organized a free fistula camp for mothers aimed at providing screening services against Female Genital Fistula (FGF). The screening is part of the county’s initiative to provide preventive measures against FGF geared towards reducing the number of fistula cases through the identification of patients and provision of surgery solution afterwards. A Gynecologist at Homa Bay County Referral Hospital Dr. Oduor Vincent who is also the Clinical Head, reiterated that the fistula camp aimed to give mothers the help they need by identifying the possibility of developing the disease and treating those afflicted by it. ‘Mothers with fistula have always been ostracized in the community and this makes them feel neglected and at times they go into depression. This is why we are organizing a fistula camp to help them,’ he said. Oduor was speaking Friday in Homa Bay town after a three-days training of health care workers who will be handling the screening and surgeries. He said screening will be done from next week while surgeries will be performed on mothers who have fistula from October 20, for five days. He said there are 3000 new fistula cases annually with two to three cases in every 1000 deliveries in Kenya, he said: ‘It is still quite a huge number and we need to lower it right before labor.’ FGF develops in women as a result of prolonged labor. Patients with fistula find themselves leaking urine and stool, a situation that forces them to always wear sanitary towels. The gynecologist said timely prevention will help mothers who are likely to have obstructed labor be handled properly at the right time to avoid developing the disease. ‘We should start early preparations after identifying mothers with high chances of developing fistula,’ he said. Oduor further advised women to avoid giving birth at home and instead go to a health facility especially one with a theater so that they can be taken care of in case of any problem that may arise during labor. ‘If there is an obstructed labor we can give them a urethral catheter as a preventive measure which they stay with for up to two weeks to reduce chances of fistula development,’ he added. He urged mothers in the county to present themselves on the stated dates at any sub county hospital to be screened for any underlying issues that may predispose them to fistula. Similarly, he called on those suffering from the disease not to be left out from the exercise as they too will be screened and treated through surgery.

Source: Kenya News Agency

Lifebuoy, a leading hygiene brand, has unveiled a set of innovative hand-washing games, titled ‘H for Hand Washing Games,’ in anticipation of Global Hand Washing Day (GHD) this Sunday. Developed in partnership with Imaginemake, these games aim to engage young minds while emphasizing the importance of hand hygiene. Unilever Kenya CEO Mr. Luck Ochieng’ said the collection which comprises four board games, including Hand Washing Ludo, Germ and Ladders, Soap Tac-Toe, and Lose the Germs are tailored for children aged 2 to 6, and have been reimagined to encourage the young to practice proper hand washing with soap after playing. The games,Ochieng’ said will be available at the Kidogo Centre in Kangemin and are in response to the trend of declining hand washing rates, exacerbated by post- coronavirus pandemic hygiene fatigue, adding that Unilever has collaborated with entrepreneurial women to support the establishment and enhancement of childcare micro-businesses. ‘The decrease in hand washing rates raises alarm bells, as it could lead to an increase in preventable infections and diseases among children. This partnership aims to ensure local ownership and sustainability, playing a pivotal role in revitalizing hand hygiene practices,’ said Ochieng’. He said that Lifebuoy acknowledges the urgent need to reinvigorate hand-washing habits, particularly among minors, noting that the ‘H for Hand Washing Games’ initiative directly addresses this need by providing an engaging and interactive solution to educate and inspire children to consistently practice proper hand hygiene. ‘We are introducing Lifebuoy’s inaugural ‘H for Hand Washing Games Kit’- a collection of four board games and other local games ingeniously designed to educate kids about hand washing while they play. Hand washing with soap should be a natural and interactive experience,’ said the CEO during the launch. Ochieng’ also emphasized the broader goal of instigating a movement to accelerate behavioral change in hand washing among children, with the intention of integrating hand hygiene education into school curricula worldwide. He noted that this approach not only promotes health and well-being but also empowers children to advocate for hygiene practices. ‘The launch underlines Unilever’s commitment to drive transformative change for communities and children by preventing illness through improved sanitation and equipping them with the skills and confidence to thrive,’ he said. Simultaneously, Unilever has generously donated over 200,000 pieces of Lifebuoy soap to various schools and educational institutions nationwide, further reinforcing their dedication to promoting hygiene and well-being in communities.

Source: Kenya News Agency

Following the alarming rate of suicide cases in Laikipia County, the government has been urged to intervene and create mental health awareness in bid to reverse the worrying trend. Mental health stakeholders speaking at a Nanyuki hotel Friday decried that the majority of people and especially the youth were fighting mental illnesses attributed to harsh economic times, drug abuse and family feuds that result in suicides. A Counselling Psychologist Dr. Susan Gitau said that, since the Covid-19 pandemic struck the country in March 2020, there have been a sharp rise in mental health issues that need urgent action for instance training of Community Health Volunteers (CHVs) to help people at the grassroots in addressing the big challenge. ‘If we want to care for every family, CHVs must be involved by the government; they have a lot of knowledge, and all they need is basic skills on mental health. With that, they can help at the grassroots level,’ said Gitau, adding CHVs also needed facilitation for seamless service delivery. She pointed out that treating mental illness was expensive and therefore there was a need to arrest the situation among communities on time since a majority of families couldn’t afford it. ‘Prevention is better than cure since psychiatric treatment is very expensive and can go up to Sh.60, 000 per session which most of families can’t afford. Even the government has not allocated sufficient funding for mental health,’ she said. An institution keen on addressing mental health problems in Laikipia, Magnificent Wellness Centre Director Ms. Treza Uduny said that she was triggered to hold the mental health stakeholders’ engagement aimed at finding solutions on how to create awareness and help residents to avert committing suicide. ‘The reason this came to my mind is due to sharp increase of suicide cases in Nanyuki, which at a particular time, we would count up to eight cases in a week especially among the males,’ revealed Uduny. A recent suicidal case is that of a 30-year-old woman identified as Irene Makandi from Katheri location in the outskirts of Nanyuki town who committed suicidal eight days ago to be interred together with her departed sister who died after short illness at the Nanyuki Teaching and Referral Hospital. She left behind suicide notes that shocked the village. A youth Ms. Mary Wangari said that the training came at a good time since they were offered a chance to speak out about the challenges they faced in mental health that led them to commit suicide. She at the same time reiterated that, a majority of youth was involved in drug and substance abuse. ‘Mental health is critical especially among the youth since they are most affected. We have seen people suffering from depression, drug and substance abuse. Therefore, such forums offer us an opportunity to speak out about our challenges hoping to get help,’ said Wangari. Another youth Ms. Alice Wambui on her part said that there was a need to sensitize the youth on mental health often to guard them against committing suicide. Meanwhile, according to World Health Organization (WHO) data, over 700,000 people commit suicide globally, which translates to one suicide in 40 seconds. Estimates indicate that there are about four cases of suicide deaths per day in Kenya that are associated with depression and anxiety disorder. The data from WHO reveals that, for every suicide, 20 people make an attempt and many others have serious thoughts of killing self. The majority are youth aged 15-29 years old. However, Kenya and other low-income and middle-income countries have scanty information about suicides due to poor reporting system on suicide mortalities. The Ministry of Health in its suicide prevention strategy 2021 to 2026, targets to reduce the mortalities attributed to mental illness by 10 percent before 2026. The training forum was supported by the Magnificent Wellness Centre.

Source: Kenya News Agency

Sixteen groups in Kisumu Central Sub County have benefited with Sh2.3 million from Uwezo Fund. The Fund aims to support youths, women and persons with disabilities dealing in Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) to access finances to initiate and scale up their businesses. Speaking during the cheque issuance exercise held on Friday, Kisumu Central Deputy County Commissioner (DCC) Mr. Mose Langat lauded the groups that qualified for the funds and urged them to use the finances for the intended purpose. The DCC noted that the funds, when utilized appropriately would create an impact on the lives of the beneficiaries and their dependents and urged the groups to commit to timely repayment of the credit so they can graduate for higher amounts. He stressed that the national government was keen on youth empowerment programs and supporting the advancement of SMEs which forms an integral part of economic growth as well as job creation. ‘The government is giving out a lot of money through various affirmative action funds to empower her people. We want these beneficiaries to act as our ambassadors and let the rest of the public know about these funds. A few groups here are being refinanced and can tell the people about government financing,’ the DCC explained. Laban Mwangi, representative from Uwezo Fund revealed that Kisumu Central Sub County recorded a recovery rate of 53 percent topping the list in all the Sub Counties in the Lakeside County. He stated that three out of the sixteen groups were being refinanced and each received Sh.400, 000 while the other thirteen were new beneficiaries. Mwangi noted that the Fund has increased its focus in Kisumu and the neighboring Counties owing to the region’s huge economic potential. ‘We give loans to groups doing startups, and expansions for enterprises. The Fund has representatives from the Wards who form part of the committees and we are in the interest of bottom-up economic transformation as espoused by the National Government,’ explained Mwangi. He challenged the beneficiaries to capitalize on the seed capital awarded by the Uwezo Fund to expand their businesses and qualify for even bigger credit facilities from other financial institutions including Banks. ‘Uwezo Fund issues interest-free loans of up to Sh.500,000 with flexible repayment plans. The Fund offers beneficiaries a lot of comfort, thus, we seek to provide seed capital to enable these groups to grow to qualify for more funding from the banks,’ Mwangi said. He added: ‘Today there are some groups that have done very well including the Lovely Sisters group. We are giving them money for the third time today. They started from Sh.50, 000 and have now graduated to Sh.400, 000.’ Nyanza Regional Youth Coordinator Mr. Joshua Kaluoch emphasized that the national government has rolled out various affirmative action funds to empower the youth, women and people with disabilities. Kaluoch called on these groups to also utilize the Youth Enterprise Development Fund, Women Enterprise Fund and National Affirmative Action Fund made available by the government to establish start-ups in agribusiness. Further, he encouraged the youth to ensure they obtain skill-based training besides college and university education to boost their chances of earning a living in the wake of the high unemployment rate among young people. Kaluoch lauded the Kenya Youth and Opportunities Project (KYEOP) for equipping youth with skills that they can use to secure employment, establish their own businesses and provide job opportunities. The government, he revealed, has upscaled the KYEOP project to form the National Youth Opportunity Towards Advancement (NYOTA) to be rolled out at the Sub County level to enhance skill-based training uptake among the youth. The beneficiaries commended the government for supporting them with interest-free loans and pleaded for the increase of the Funds’ limits. According to Rakusi Women Group Chairlady Ms. Esther Oriema, dedication and handwork have enabled the group established in 1998 to succeed through loans. On the other hand, Ms Rose Odhiambo, Chairlady of Lovely Sisters Group opines that discipline among the members has been key in the growth of their group for the last 30 years. She said that their group which focuses on table banking has managed to acquire 10 sewing machines for members and has advanced from Sh.50,000 credit limit at the inception of the Uwezo Fund loans to Sh.400,000 currently.

Source: Kenya News Agency

OSHAKATI: Minister of Environment, Forestry and Tourism Pohamba Shifeta said deforestation and forest degradation are on the rise with action needed to solve the problem.

Shifeta said this during the occasion of Arbor Day held at Osona village in Okahandja on Saturday, saying the unsustainable land use practices, such as slash-and-burn agriculture, illegal logging, and urban development, threaten to strip away the precious forest cover.

According to Shifeta, these activities not only result in the loss of biodiversity but also contribute to carbon emissions and soil erosion.

“Forest degradation is another concern, driven by selective logging, fuelwood collection, and invasive species. These issues not only impact our natural ecosystems but also jeopardise the long-term sustainability of our forests,” he said.

He added that trees, in essence, are silent heroes that enrich every aspect of people’s existence.

“However, despite their immense value, our forests face formidable challenges.”

Hence, Shifeta said it is the collective responsibility to act and make a solemn commitment to protect and restore the forests.

He urged Namibians to at least plant a tree, not just in their immediate surroundings, but in their communities and across the nation and care for existing trees, watering them, protecting them from pests and diseases, and pruning when needed.

Moreover, Shifeta called on Namibians to unite and “paint the county green” with tree-growing initiatives.

“Arbor Day is a reminder of our commitment to the environment, our future, and the planet. Let’s make every day Arbor Day and ensure that the beauty and benefits of trees continue to grace our lives and those of generations to come,” he appealed.

Source: The Namibia Press Agency