Residents living in Arpollo area in Pokot Central sub county, West Pokot County have all the reasons to smile after receiving the boost of a free health outreach program that is helping to avail health services in the area courtesy of Action Against Hunger Organization.
The residents in the village have been walking for more than 15 kilometers to Arpollo, Lomut and Chesegon health centers to get treatment.
The outreach program is now serving thousands of residents from the area with cases such as malnutrition, which stands at a high rate of around 45.9%, being addressed.
Speaking during a visit to Chenyakau outreach, Action Against Hunger official Ms Betty Cheyech opined that the project has helped many women and children who are under the age of five years. “We partner with the ministry of health, community health volunteers and also community caregivers on how to do checks on the children and do self referrals on malnutrition.”
She said that the program also ongoing at Nyangaita and Cheptulel units has enabled many children to get screened and given early intervention on malnutrition. “We have lost many people and many mothers in the area have been giving birth at home due to lack of health centers,” she added.
She said that the project will help improve the immunization index and address maternal health care. “We have deployed community health workers nutritionists who are addressing cases of stunted growth and malnutrition,” she said.
A community health worker Mr. Benson Kibet Loyatamoi from Rosio village which is 7 kilometers to Arpollo dispensary said that residents have been encountering many challenges. “There are no clinics and patients have been going to Chesta and Lomut dispensaries.” He called on donors to partner with the County and national governments to improve health facilities in the region.
Mama Chepkemoi, a resident from Chenyakau area which is 15 kilometers from Arpollo health facility said they are overwhelmed about the opening up of medical facilities in the area.
