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Community health and sanitation improvements in Mandera County, Kenya

The Nomadic Assistance for Peace and Development (NAPAD) and the Danish Refugee Council (DRC) with funding from the German Federal Foreign Office (GFFO) supported various communities in Mandera County, Kenya to address emerging needs arising from the Horn of Africa drought as well as the effects of el nino in 2023.

Posted on 03 Apr 2024

Koromey Dispensary, in Mandera was among the public facilities supported with the installation of an elavated 5,000-liter water tank and a 0.5HP booster pump, construction of soak-away pits for wastewater disposal and a twin Ventilatted Improved Pit (VIP) latrine.

These comprehensive interventions aimed to improve healthcare infrastructure and particularly sanitation standards through the installation, and repair of hand wash stations, the establishment of water piping networks within the facility and repairs to an existing underground reserve water tank and a solar system.

Rehabilitation of water infrastructure was also undertaken at Shafshafey Health Centre, Neboi, and Khadija Dispensaries. These repairs that included installation water tanks, booster pumps, and hand wash stations equally had a positive impact on service delivery and community health outcomes.

The increased utilization of services at Khadija Dispensary, offering a range of crucial services to the community including maternity care, lab services, mother and child health, nutrition, pharmacy, family planning, and outpatient services, is a testament to the positive impact of the facility upgrades.

Similarly, Shafshafey Health Centre, that serves a population of 15,071 individuals and conducts outreach within the community, has began to make good of the facility upgrades enhancing service delivery and promoting community health.

We have 280 babies under 1 year in the Koromey location and solar installation has helped us store our medicine and vaccines in a fridge. Out of 280 babies, we have so far vaccinated 150 and are targeting all the remaining 130. We also do outreach activities for several other locations.

/ Adan Noor- Nursing officer In-charge, Koromey Dispensary

The initiative has had a significant positive impact on the community of Koromey. Mothers in the area had to walk for long distances to ensure their children were immunized but after the improvements,children in Koromey now have improved access to vaccinations, either through convenient vaccination services at the facility or during outreach activities conducted in their homes.

In late 2023, heavy rains led to flooding in Mandera that damaged the latrines at the facility. The twin latrines were crucial in containing the spread of diseases through open defecation.

Water is life, and we have adequate water in our facility now. This has improved service delivery within the dispensary. The improvements have not only enhanced our services but have also brought more community members through our doors seeking care. The water infrastructure constructed in the facility have helped in recording a high index of patients. The maternity wing is now functional and we are grateful

/ Mohamed, a Nurse, at Khadija dispensary.

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