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Turkana pilots innovative malaria intervention tool to combat seasonal outbreaks

Health officials in Turkana undergo on the new malarial too. (County Press)

By Issa Hussein | 28 Mar 2024

This tool emerged from a seasonal malaria research project conducted in Turkana North and Central sub-counties by Moi University in collaboration with Duke University.

Turkana County will pilot a new seasonal malaria chemoprevention tool in an effort to strengthen malaria intervention efforts.

The County Health Management Team, in collaboration with Catholic Relief Services, concluded a three-day orientation session on Thursday to introduce the newly developed seasonal malaria chemoprevention tool.

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This tool emerged from a seasonal malaria research project conducted in Turkana's North and Central sub-counties by Moi University in collaboration with Duke University.

Dr. Gilchrist Lokoel, the Turkana County Chief Officer for Medical Services, highlighted that the tool will be deployed in the upcoming seasonal malaria chemoprevention campaign scheduled for June 2024, targeting children aged 3 to 59 months.

Dr. Lokoel emphasised that the orientation sessions over the past three days were crucial in acquainting health officials with the seasonal malaria chemoprevention tools. These tools will enable evidence-based decision-making in managing seasonal malaria within the county.

He emphasised the urgent need to classify Turkana County as an endemic malaria zone due to the high morbidity and mortality rates associated with malaria, particularly among the pastoralist communities constituting sixty percent of the population in Turkana.

David Ekai, the Malaria Programme Coordinator for Turkana County, highlighted that the newly developed tool will facilitate commodity accountability, data collection, and data management, thereby enhancing malaria intervention efforts during the upcoming campaign.

Prof. Diana Menya, a lead researcher at Moi University, mentioned that the forthcoming publication of findings from the seasonal malaria chemoprevention research in Turkana will significantly contribute to the development of national policies and interventions for other counties.

Moses Orinda, the Project Manager for Health at Catholic Relief Services, announced plans for an end-of-cycle review meeting after the completion of the first five cycles.

This meeting aims to ensure the successful implementation of the seasonal malaria chemoprevention campaign, with provisions for technical support to reduce the malaria burden effectively.