ENTEPESI KENYA PROVIDES NUTRITIONAL HEALTH & COVID-19 VACCINES
On Friday, November 26th Entepesi Kenya (EK) traveled for a second time this year to Olbili village in Kajiado County, Kenya. During the camp, EK focused on nutritional health for women and children under the ages of 5 years and provided COVID-19 vaccines for all.
The WHO published an article called “Nutrition and Breastfeeding Promotion” providing facts about undernutrition and the negative consequences for maternal, newborn, and child health. According to WHO:
“Many women in Africa suffer from chronic undernutrition and micronutrient deficiencies and fail to gain enough weight during pregnancy. The consequences of malnutrition for mothers include increased risk of death, illness, and complications during pregnancy and childbirth, greater susceptibility to infection, reduced activity levels, and lower productivity. Maternal malnutrition increases the risk of stillbirths and newborn deaths, intrauterine growth restriction, low birth weight (LBW), preterm birth, and birth defects. Each year, more than four million LBW babies are born in Africa.” (You can read the full article here: Nutrition & Breastfeeding Promotion)
In a poverty-stricken area, such as Olbili, malnutrition is a high-risk problem for pregnant or breastfeeding mothers, and children. During this camp, EK was able to test and treat 9 children under the age of five, and six mothers. Of those women, two were malnourished, they were provided with necessary supplements and the other 4 were educated on proper nutrition for themselves and their children.
The other service EK organized was COVID-19 Vaccinations. During this camp, the Inchalai Health Facility provided 10 Johnson & Johnson vaccines and an additional 10, second-dose, shots of the Astra-Zenica vaccine provided to local primary school teachers.
Kenya’s president, Uhuru Kenyatta, made a presidential announcement that citizens will not be able to receive government or public services without being vaccinated. EK decided to support the local health clinics to provide a way for the rural communities to receive the vaccines.
Currently, educating and encouraging these rural community members about the coronavirus and the COVID-19 vaccines is the first step in assisting these people. We are grateful to be a part of this community and to be able to serve the quality health services they deserve.
Summary of services provided:
- 85 Lower-Primary Level Children Dewormed
- 35 Adults & Children provided diagnoses & treatments for illnesses
- 20 Covid-19 Vaccines administered
- 9 children under 5 years of age evaluated and treated by the Nutritionist
- 4 women educated in nutritional health and treated for malnutrition
- 6 women served with Family Planning Education/treatment
- 12 infants & young girls were provided with immunizations and HPV vaccines