TURKANA — The County Government of Turkana and Fred Hollows Foundation will roll out eye screening and surgical camps, training of health workers and MCAs on primary eye care, and community awareness drives in the first year of a new four-year regional eye health project.
The resolution was reached during an inception meeting for the North Rift Regional Eye Health Project that brought together county eye care teams, sub-county medical officers and partners to formulate the 2026/2027 work plan.
The project, which began in July 2026, aims to reduce avoidable blindness and vision impairment. It will be implemented in Turkana, West Pokot, Baringo, Marsabit and Mandera counties with funding from the Australian NGO Cooperation Program (ANCP) through the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT).
In Turkana, it will target Turkana South including Aroo, Turkana East including Suguta and Turkana West including Lokichoggio, as well as refugee communities. Implementation will be done with Turkana Christian Development Mission (TCDM) and PanAfricare.
The project will address gaps in service delivery, human resources, infrastructure and equipment, medical consumables, eye health data collection and reporting, leadership and governance to increase access among underserved, vulnerable and marginalised communities.
Interventions will include community dialogues, health talks and stakeholder engagements to encourage early care-seeking, while the two CSOs will support mobilisation, identification and referral of patients, health system strengthening, advocacy and monitoring.
Deputy Director for Strategic Preventive Health Programs Rotich Kipkorir stressed need for strong policy and legislative frameworks and budget allocation for eye health.
Fred Hollows Foundation Monitoring and Evaluation Technical Advisor Kennedy Alwenya reaffirmed commitment to strengthening eye care systems and said digitisation is being explored to improve service delivery and reporting.
Deputy Director Public Health Ekaran Ismael welcomed partner support and urged teamwork, noting health is devolved.
“Partners supplement the government. MOH being 100% devolved means we have to work as a team with partners, stakeholders and communities,” he said.
Deputy Director Legislative Services at the County Assembly Kathreen Ereng called for proactive advocacy for eye health funding to ensure continuity beyond the project.
The project is expected to improve access to quality eye care, early detection, referral and community involvement.
Present were County Planning Deputy Director Julius Ekal, County Eye Care Coordinator Samson Lokele and deputy Veronica Etee, Fred Hollows Technical Advisor Advocacy and Policy Edwin Mbaya, and officers Collince Ogada, Rose Gichengo, Moses Wang’anga, Abraham Ewet, Dickson Okello and TCDM and PanAfricare representatives.
