According to UNICEF Kenya statistics, the mortality rate of children under 5 has been rising from 97 per 1000 in 1990 to 121 per 1000 in 2009. The infant mortality rate (children under 1) also noted an increase from 64 per 1000 in 1990 to 80 per 1000 in 2009. A major contributor to these shocking statistics is the killer disease malaria which claims 36, 000 children under 5 every year yet only 6% of under fives in the country are sleeping under a treated mosquito net, a proven method of prevention of this scourge.
This same source informs us that the estimated number of people (all ages) living with HIV/AIDS is somewhere between 1, 500, 000 and 2, 000, 000 people out of 39, 000, 000 Kenyans, of which 60% are infected with tuberculosis. In summary, disease is rampant. This, coupled with the spiraling costs of healthcare and the unchecked prevalence of illnesses especially in the rural areas, means people are dying hence the low life expectancy at birth of 53 as of 2009. We at Afya Kenya Foundation seeks to collaborate and partner with all stakeholders in the health sector to provide free quality health care to the ordinary mwananchi to curb the spread of preventable illnesses and eradicate disease.
Project Objectives
We are of the opinion that the following are important in achieving this goal:
(1) PREVENTIVE OBJECTIVES
A. Public Education:
Educate Mothers on the Role of Breastfeeding fin ensuring proper child health. They will be educated on the importance of exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months of life and up to two years and the reasons for this as per WHO guidelines. Community members will be trained to impart this information to their colleagues.
Educate Mothers on the Role of Immunization as provided for in the Kenya expanded programmed of immunization (KEPI) guidelines in preventing disease. Community members will be trained to impart this information to their colleagues.
Education on Hygiene Practice to the target population to keep diseases related to lack of cleanliness or poor sanitation at bay. Community members will be trained to impart this information to their colleagues.
Education on Nutritionto the community members. Information will be provided on the best food options, their nutritional value, food preparation methods and the general role of a proper diet in maintaining good health. Community members will be trained to impart this information to their colleagues.
Education on Water and Sanitation will be a core part of our outreach camps. The community members will be informed on the different methods of water collection and purification before use. Also included will be pointers on waste disposal methods and the role poor waste disposal plays in the development of disease. Community members will be trained to impart this information to their colleagues.
B. Health Interventions:
Improve immunization coverage among the rural and urban poor by redirecting the focus from immunization campaigns to a deliberate, systematic and sustainable immunization program within the framework of existing maternal and child health services.
Provide insecticide treated nets (ITN) to communities living in malaria prone areas and educate them on the use of these nets. This would reduce incidence of the disease in these areas.
Set up screening programs for common diseases and malignancies such as breast cancer, cervical cancer, tuberculosis, etc. Heath education in this particular area is crucial. Afya Kenya Foundation seeks to partner with community based volunteers so that we can train residents on the importance of early detection of these ailments using simple signs and symptoms to encourage health seeking behavior. For example: chills, fever, vomiting for malaria; rice water diarrhea for cholera; bloody diarrhea for dysentery; fever, night sweats, chronic cough for tuberculosis among others.
De – worming of all children of school going age. This will help reduce the prevalence of common worm infections thus enabling normal and healthy growth and development.
Provide ante – natal clinic services for expectant mothers as this has been shown to reduce the incidence of complications during childbirth.
Improve the nutritional status of the people by supplementing micronutrients such as Iron, Folate, Calcium, Iodine and Vitamins. All the while advising people on the health risks of obesity and illustrating the benefits of a healthy lifestyle.
Voluntary counseling and testing services for HIV/AIDS as part and parcel of wholesome healthcare. It is imperative that in this day and age, everybody is aware of their HIV status to prevent the spread of the scourge.
(2) CURATIVE SERVICES
Our free community health outreach camps would also have this angle of healthcare given prominent consideration. We would provide comprehensive treatment for common illness and seek to have as varied a drugs list as possible for this purpose when we go to the field. It is for this reason that we have patron senior doctors based in the Kenyatta National Hospital playing the pivotal role of consultancy on our field excursions on the issue of curative health.
