By Hassan Mumin

Access to quality  health care service delivery are some of the underfunded sectors in the country which need to be supported by all stakeholders to mitigate the ripple effects caused by poor management of health care systems and policies. Allocations to the health sector in Kenya still falls far below far below the Abuja Declaration target of 15 percent by 2015, according to the 2017 Community Health Scorecard released by the National Taxpayers Association (NTA). In Mandera County for instance there are only 7.3 health facilities per 100,000 persons. According to the Demographic Health Survey the proportion of fully immunized children in Mandera County is 42.7% against the national average of 75% with 28.2% of the children having never had any form of vaccination. Populations in Mandera County generally face a wide range of complex barriers that limit or prevent access to quality health care services more so when one lives with disability. The challenges include geographical isolation, low illiteracy levels, socio-economic barriers including the nomadic lifestyle and lack of women’s ability to decide their health matters. These challenges call for concerted efforts by all stakeholders in reversing the poor health trends.

Save the Children, in collaboration with Mandera County Department of Health, with funding support from Hyundai foundation is implementing an equity-based integrated community case management (iCCM) programme through Community Health Volunteers (CHVs) supporting marginalized communities with inadequate health service delivery structures in saving lives with a focus to children living with disabilities. ICCM is an intervention that is equity focused that trains and equips CHVs to identify, treat, follow-up and refer common childhood illnesses like diarrhoea, fever, malaria, pneumonia and malnutrition.

“We have been able to identify real cases of disabled children, who would have never been recognized in the communities if not for this project and linking them with other government support services. This has greatly impacted on service delivery in this entire community,” said Hussein Maalim, the Sub-County Health Officer, Mandera West.

The project is being implemented in two sub-counties of Banisa and Mandera West of greater Mandera County. Disability mainstreaming is the main focus of the project with a complementary component of health care service delivery through trained Community Health Volunteers and health system strengthening through capacity building of health care workers in managing and delivery of quality and efficient maternal and child health services to disadvantaged communities in Mandera.

“With the limited resources, it’s time we consolidate and rededicate our efforts to address the inequalities for the betterment of our future generations in partnerships with donors and stakeholders in health care service delivery,” said Mr Mohammed.

A total of 70 children living with various forms of disability has been so far identified and being supported through the project on a bi-weekly basis. The children receive physiotherapy and occupational therapy at the household level provided by Occupational therapist and Community Health Volunteers (CHVs) supporting the project, 12 cases of children with mobility disability will also benefit from assistive devices including wheelchairs, walking aids (crutches, walking frames) and baby walkers.

 [1] Sub- County Health Officer is the overall in-charge of Health service delivery in the entire sub-county.