TURKANA SOUTH – Caregivers in Turkana South Sub-County are playing a key role in improving the early detection of child malnutrition after receiving training to monitor their children’s nutritional status from home.
The progress was highlighted over the weekend during a three-day validation meeting of the R-SWITCH project, implemented by the Turkana County Government in partnership with the International Rescue Committee (IRC).
Over the past 18 months, the project has trained parents and caregivers to use Mid-Upper Arm Circumference (MUAC) tapes and mobile phone reporting to identify signs of malnutrition, before children’s conditions worsen.
Veronica Ereng, the Medical Officer of Health for Turkana South and Aroo Sub-County, said the initiative has changed how families respond to child malnutrition.
“Before, families had to wait for a Community Health Promoter or a health worker to notice something was wrong,” Ereng said. “Now, a mother can catch it herself, twice a month, and get her child help before it becomes serious.”
She said the approach has helped bridge the gap between homes and health facilities by ensuring children with signs of malnutrition are identified and referred for treatment at an earlier stage.
Joseph Karagu, the Turkana County Nutrition Coordinator, said caregivers have embraced the new skills and technology, making them active participants in safeguarding their children’s health.
“They picked up the Mid-Upper Arm Circumference (MUAC) tapes and the phone reporting so quickly,” Karagu said.
“It’s given health facilities some breathing room, and it’s turned ordinary parents into champions for their children’s nutrition.” He added.
William Abong, the Turkana South Sub-County Nutrition Coordinator, said the programme has increased early identification of malnutrition cases, with trained caregivers referring affected children to health facilities for timely treatment.
However, Dorothy Maasai, the Health Records Officer, said several challenges continue to affect the programme.
She noted that livelihood activities, particularly mining in Aroo Sub-County, often keep caregivers away from home, making regular child monitoring difficult.
Maasai added that boys who spend long periods herding livestock are more vulnerable, while shortages of essential nutrition supplies and reporting tools have at times discouraged families from seeking healthcare services.
