Lokiriama, Turkana County –Save the Children has rolled out the Emergency Integrated Nutrition and WASH Response in Turkana, a six- month programme supported by the Eastern and Southern Africa Humanitarian Fund (ESAHF) to address the worsening drought and rising cases of malnutrition among children and vulnerable mothers.The intervention targets over 95,000 children under five years and pregnant and breastfeeding women and girls affected by food insecurity and limited access to water,sanitation and hygiene services. A nutrition mass screening conducted in April 2026 revealed that Global Acute Malnutrition (GAM) rates had exceeded the World Health Organization emergency threshold, with some areas recording as high as 50 percent.
“Many sites reported even up to 50 percent, indicating that one in every two children was malnourished,” said Save the Children Health and Nutrition Coordinator Akutan
Lobolia.
The project, which was presented to the County Steering Group before implementation,
is being delivered through integrated outreach services in 184 sites across Turkana.According to Lobolia, the programme aims to screen up to 103,000 children and mothers, distribute 10,265 WASH non-food items and promote Infant and Young Child
Feeding practices.
County officials joined monitoring visits in Komio, Puch, Lokoropus and Nakatiyan,where outreach teams navigated rocky terrain, dry riverbeds and steep escarpments to
reach isolated communities.
In Komio, 136 children were screened and 40 cases of malnutrition identified. Area Chief Titus Lokwang welcomed the exercise, saying, “I will spend my time encouraging
residents to turn up in even larger numbers for the next edition.”
In Puch, Akai Emuria, a pastoralist mother, walked for hours and spent the night with strangers so her two-and-a-half-year-old child could receive six catch-up vaccinations.
“My only option was to wait for them to return,” she said.
Deputy Director for Partnerships and Resource Mobilization Mike Aupe said the outreaches demonstrate Governor Jeremiah Lomorukai’s commitment to bringing
services closer to communities through partnerships.
“Through a working partnership with Save the Children, residents of these areas are able to access services that would otherwise remain out of reach,” he said.
The outreach continues to bridge the gap between healthcare services and remote communities, proving that in Turkana, healthcare sometimes begins with a journey.
