Ministry of Health targets six counties in 10-day cholera vaccination campaign
The Ministry of Health is set to embark on a 10-day cholera oral vaccination campaign beginning Thursday, August 3, 2023 to Saturday, August 12, 2023. The Ministry will conduct the campaign in six of 47 counties with a target of 1.5 million people above the age of one.
The counties include Nairobi (Kamukunji and Embakasi Central sub-counties), Wajir (Wajir North sub-county), Mandera (Mandera East sub-county), Marsabit (Moyale sub-county), Homa Bay (Suba South sub-county), Machakos (GK Prison and Special school) and Garissa (Dadaab refugee camps).
In a statement released on Monday, the Ministry of Health said it will collaborate with the relevant County Governments with the support of the World Health Organization, the The United Nations Children’s Fund among other partners.
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“Community members, parents and caregivers are strongly urged to take advantage of this life-saving opportunity and ensure they get vaccinated, along with ensuring their children receive the vaccine. In addition to vaccination, the Ministry advises the public to continue practicing essential public health measures, including regular handwashing, proper water treatment, cooking food thoroughly and using latrines for proper fecal disposal. These measures are essential to prevent the spread of cholera and protect the health and well-being of everyone in the community,” the Ministry said.
The announcement came after the Ministry conducted training sessions for county and sub-county teams in the targeted areas to ensure effective implementation of the vaccination campaign.
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According to WHO, from March 2023, Kenya’s arid northern region was affected by a cholera outbreak that was triggered by the impact of prolonged and severe drought. As of March 2023, WHO found that Kenya had recorded more than 7,800 cases of cholera and 122 deaths as of 26th March.
The vaccination campaign will be the second one carried out this year after a similar one was launched in February 2023 and ran for 10 days. The first campaign targeted 2.2 million people in affected counties, including Tana River and Garissa.
WHO singled out Kenya, Malawi and Mozambique to receive a $6 million kick-start disbursement for cholera emergency responses.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Cholera is most likely to occur and spread in places with inadequate water treatment, poor sanitation and inadequate hygiene. Cholera bacteria also thrive in slightly salty rivers and coastal waters.
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