Review meeting highlights barriers to immunisation, maternal health in Turkana

Turkana Central's health sector faces major performance gaps, from delayed data reporting to low service uptake, according to a tough review meeting that brought together 52 health facility in-charges, sub-county teams, and county health managers.

The meeting, meant to assess 2025 progress against set targets, revealed systemic weaknesses slowing down improvements in patient care, immunisation, and overall service delivery.

County health officials said the biggest setbacks remain poor-quality and late data reports, long distances between facilities, low community awareness, and knowledge gaps among health workers on reporting tools.

Deputy Director for Medical Services, Dr Bonventure Ameyo, warned that lapses in data accuracy were undermining decisions and delaying life-saving interventions.

"Timely, accurate, high-quality data isn't a formality; it's what guides policymakers and saves lives," he said. "Inconsistent weekly reports raise costs, erode patient trust and affect quality of care."

The review examined three critical areas: immunisation trends for April-September 2025, performance gaps between actual and projected targets, and lessons from top-performing facilities.

Turkana Central Medical Officer of Health, Dr Mercy Kawira, said weak community engagement continued to frustrate progress in immunisation, antenatal care, maternity services, nutrition, TB, and NCD management.

"We must intensify community sensitisation if we expect any improvement," she said, noting that even high-performing facilities were struggling to meet demand due to limited awareness at the community level.

While some facilities excelled, such as Kawalase, which was recognised for exceeding its mentorship and performance targets, the overall picture showed wide disparities.

At Lochoraikeny Dispensary, Nurse-in-Charge Geoffrey Kibet reported surpassing the annual immunisation target for children under one year, but highlighted persistent setbacks.

"We still face challenges like home deliveries," he said. "We're working with community volunteers to promote postnatal care and encourage skilled deliveries."

Kibet added that although Vitamin A uptake increased through outreach, and HIV clients doubled from 3 to 9 in six months, more investment and follow-up were needed.

United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) Nutrition Officer Benson Musau said quarterly review meetings were improving resilience and accountability, but urged stronger adherence to reporting tools and timelines.

Another pressing gap raised was the slow pace of Social Health Authority (SHA) registration and low case notification rates, which Dr Ameyo said must improve by at least 20 per cent countywide.

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Deputy Director for Primary Health Care, Peter Ekope, warned that high error rates in facility reports and low patient satisfaction were impacting outcomes.

Participants agreed that Turkana's geographical vastness remains a significant barrier - delaying referrals, limiting service access, and contributing to low performance indicators.

"Distance is a silent killer in our indicators," one official noted, citing the long travel times between health posts.

TCDM's Health and Nutrition Officer Martin Imoni underscored the importance of the review, calling it a "vital opportunity" to track progress, identify weaknesses, and strengthen systems.

Representatives from private facilities, the Kenya Red Cross Society, and key partners, including Save the Children, Imarisha Jamii, and UNICEF, attended the forum.

The meeting, facilitated by the County Government in partnership with Turkana Church Development Mission, concluded with renewed calls for targeted training, improved community engagement, and accelerated support to remote villages to close glaring gaps ahead of 2026.