ENRICH Project Hands Over Nutrition and Health Supplies worth Ksh 26.4M to Elgeyo Marakwet County Government
January 23rd, 2018 NAIROBI - The Canadian High Commissioner to Kenya H.E. Ms. Sara Hradecky; accompanied by World Vision Kenya National Director, François Batalingaya, has today officially handed over health supplies and equipment worth 26.4 Million Kenya Shillingsto Elgeyo Marakwet County Government on behalf of the ENRICH (Enhancing Nutrition Services to Improve Maternal and Child Health in Africa and Asia) Project, Kenya.
The supplies which include delivery beds, infant warmers, digital blood pressure machines among others, are being distributed to 111 health facilities of different cadres, across the county.
“World Vision appreciates the generous support the Canadian Government has given towards sustainably meeting the basic nutrition and health needs for the people of Elgeyo Marakwet. World Vision will continue to work with the community, county government and key partners in ensuring children enjoy good health and thrive in all aspects of their lives”, said Batalingaya.
The ultimate goal of the ENRICH project is to contribute to the reduction of maternal and child mortality. One of the approaches to ensure the project’s goals are met, is delivery of essential health and basic nutrition services for mothers, pregnant women, new-borns and children under two years of age.
Through the ENRICH Project, Nutrition International, which is one of the project’s consortium partners, has supported the development of Kenya’s National Food Fortification Strategic Plan together with Ministry of health and other key players. The strategic plan will go along away in ensuring children receive key micronutrients essential for their growth and development.
In Kenya, the ENRICH Project covers four sub-counties of Elgeyo Marakwet. The equipment given today, will thus provide improved access to quality health care services to mothers and children in Elgeyo Marakwet.
The project has achieved great milestones since its inception in March 2016 especially in capacity building community health workers and equipping health facilities, this has seen increase of
· 11% in mothers receiving at least 4 antenatal care visits
· 33% children aged 6 - 23.9 months receiving minimum dietary diversity and minimum meal frequency ,
· 42.6% new borns put to breast within an hour after birth and
· 34.7% increase in Caregivers visited by CHW at least once in the last three months among others.
Other notable interventions include partnership with Harvest plus in the production of bio fortified crops, specifically Orange Fleshed Sweet Potato (OFSP) being multiplied at Chebara ATC and promoted through 25 lead farmer demo farms in different locations. Iron rich beans production has also been established on 40 acres of land at Arrorr irrigation scheme.
The project targets to reach 68% of the county’s total population as direct beneficiaries which includes 74,347 children below the age of five years, 104, 397 pregnant women and lactating mothers. It will also reach youth, farmers and community health workers.
The ENRICH project works in partnership and collaboration at national, county and local levels with National and county government officials (Ministry of Health, Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock & Fisheries, Social Affairs, Water &Irrigation, Nutrition International (NI), Harvest plus (H+), University Academia (Egerton University in Kenya & University of Toronto in Canada), Kenya Agricultural & Livestock Research Organization –KALRO, Kenya Plant Health Inspectorate Service –KEPHIS, Private sector –Mass media, Community –women, men, farmers groups and Community workers- Community health committees and Community Health Units.
-ENDS-
For more Information please contact
World Vision Kenya
Communications Manager,
May Ondeng
Email: may_ondeng@wvi.org
Associate Director, Health and Nutrition
World Vision Kenya
Miriam Mbembe
Email: miriam_mbeme@wvi.org
Quick Facts:
· According to the project baseline survey conducted in December 2016, Elgeyo Marakwet County recorded stunting at 33 percent while underweight at 17.8 percent For children of 6-59.9 months .This means three in every 10 children are short for their age while about two children in every 10 have low weight compared to a healthy child of the same age.
· Stunting, or being too short for one’s age, is defined as a height that is more than two standard deviations below the World Health Organization (WHO) child growth standards median. It is a largely irreversible outcome of inadequate nutrition and repeated spells of infection during the first 1000 days of a child’s life.
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The World Vision Kenya Strategic Goal (2016-2020) is to contribute to increased protection, participation and well-being of 2.6 million most vulnerable children and 14 million children, through policy influence by 2020.
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