Malaria prevention
Turkana is the first county to implement the new Seasonal Malaria Chemoprevention (SMC) strategy to prevent malaria. Officers from the County Government of Turkana, Catholic Relief Services (CRS) among other stakeholders were informed of this latest development during a meeting to discuss the administration of SMC anti-malarial drugs (SP+AQ) to prevent malaria in children under-fives in Turkana Central.
SP+AQ is a combination of malaria drugs that provides long-lasting protection from deadly parasitic disease, administered in five cycles at an interval of 28 days to enhance high protection for malaria.
The County Chief Officer of Medical Services, Dr Gilchrist Lokoel said, “Turkana County is glad to be the first county in Kenya to implement SMC strategy. Health is a shared function and working together will enhance the success of this new intervention for malaria prevention,”
Speaking during the meeting, Deputy County Secretary, Albert Gamoe urged the team to be advocate for SMC since it is a new strategy in the county. The Director of Medical Services, James Kidalio said the county team is committed to supporting the SMC strategy through administration of antimalarial drugs.
The CRS Project Officer Seraphine Mwende asked the team to join hands in making the SMC strategy a success in order to address malaria menace in Turkana. One of the researchers from Moi University, Joseph Kipkoech said that the findings of SMC intervention in Turkana Central will inform the national policy and roll-out in other counties.
Present wereTurkana South Deputy County Commissioner Gideon Ombongi, Director Administration Locheria Chris as well as the Director Partnerships and Administration at Health department, Nancy Nyang’a.