Migori County receives nutritional supplements worth 28 million shillings
Migori County has received nutritional supplements worth Ksh 28 million to help fight malnutrition which affects 8,000 children under five.
Speaking while receiving the donation from Lwala Community Alliance at Migori Referral Hospital, County Secretary Christopher Rusanna said malnutrition in the county remained very high.
He acknowledged that the donation is expected to last six months and another donation of a similar amount is expected within the year.
The official also added that the Alliance had donated data capture and reporting tools as a palliative measure for malnutrition.
He said the gadgets will be distributed to 79 health facilities across the county to help with nutrition, community monitoring and accountability.
Rusana noted that the nutritional supplement will be delivered to affected areas in Uriri, Nyatike, Kuria East and Rongo counties where children are more likely to suffer from malnutrition.
He said as a county they have put in place measures to address malnutrition including household nutrition education, formation of mother-to-mother support groups, demonstration of community foods and l Referral by community health workers to health centers.
The official, however, noted that the stigma has slowed the fight against malnutrition, also saying that the county will increase the acquisition of the supply of nutritional supplements to ensure that the fight against malnutrition is reduced to zero.
Rusana asked health workers to ensure that supplements reach end users so that malnutrition in children, the elderly, nursing mothers and pregnant women is properly addressed.
Ms. Doreen Awino, Director of Health Systems at Lwala Community Alliance, said the county will continue to commit resources to reduce infant malnutrition 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 hence has increased the need for nutritional supplements to support people living with the pandemic.
Joseph Nyamita, a member of the Migori County Executive Committee for Health, noted that community health workers will help distribute the nutritional supplements to reach the 8,000 malnourished children in the four named sub-counties.