Migori County receive nutritional supplements worth Sh 28million

Migori County has received nutritional supplements worth Ksh 28 million to help in the fight against malnutrition that has affected 8,000 children under the age of five.

Speaking while receiving the donation from Lwala Community Alliance at Migori Referral Hospital, County Secretary Christopher Rusanna said malnutrition in the county remains significantly high.

He acknowledged that the donation is projected to go for six months and a further donation of a similar amount will be expected within the year.

The official also added that the Alliance had donated Data Capture and Reporting Tools as a stop gap measure towards malnutrition.

He said that the gadgets will be distributed to 79 health facilities across the county to aid in nutrition, community tracking, and accountability.

Rusana noted that the nutritional supplement will be taken to the affected areas of Uriri, Nyatike, Kuria East and Rongo Sub counties where children were more susceptible to malnutrition.

He said as a county, they have put in place measures to counter malnutrition that included household nutrition education, formation of mother-to-mother support groups, community food demonstration, and referrals by health community workers to health centre facilities.

The official, however, noted that stigmatisation has slowed down the fight against malnutrition, also saying the county will increase the supply acquisition of nutritional supplements to ensure that the fight against malnutrition is reduced to zero level.

Rusana asked health workers to ensure that the supplements reach the end users so that malnutrition in children, elderly, lactating and expecting mothers is properly addressed.

Ms Doreen Awino, a Health Systems Director of Lwala Community Alliance said the county will continue to commit resources to reduce malnutrition among infant child and under-five mortality.

She pointed out that Migori County is among the top five counties with the highest prevalence of HIV and AIDS and thus increased the need for nutritional supplements to support people living with pandemic.

Migori County Executive Committee Member for Health Col (Rtd) Joseph Nyamita noted that the community health workers will help to distribute the nutritional supplements to reach the 8,000 malnourished children in the named four sub counties.