EMERGENCY CHOLERA RESPONSE

PROGRAMME
IOM WORKS WITH
PARTNERS TO REDUCE
THE MORBIDITY
AND MORTALITY
OF COMMUNITIES
VULNERABLE TO
CHOLERA
With limited access to
basic health care and safe
drinking water, Kenya has
suered several cholera
ouLbreaks ln vulnerable
regions since 1971.
Cholera, an acute
diarrhoeal disease that
can klll wlLhln hours lf le
unLreaLed, ls oen spread
through contaminated
water or food. It is a
major concern for mobile
populauons, pasLorallsL
communlues and remoLe
regions in Kenya which
have llmlLed healLh care
faclllues and severely lack
sanlLauon managemenL
and awareness.
ln 2009, kenya reporLed
11,769 cases of cholera;
the highest number in 10
years. 274 people
losL Lhelr llves as a resulL.
ln parLnershlp wlLh Lhe
kenyan CovernmenL, Lhe
lnLernauonal Crganlzauon
for Mlgrauon (lCM)
launched an immediate
response.
8apld response Leams
lour rapld response Leams
equlpped wlLh baslc
commodlues lncludlng
re-hydrauon sacheLs
(C8S), chlorlne waLer
treatment tablets and
lnformauon, educauon
and communlcauon
maLerlals were dlspaLched
Lo Lhe mosL aecLed
communlues ln Lhe 8l
Valley, Western and
nyanza provlnces.
CERF
Funded by the Central
Emergency Relief
Fund, IOM undertook
sensluzauon sesslons
promoung baslc hyglene.
Many
at-risk
communlues
possess llmlLed
knowledge of
how to use basic
commodlues and
manage sanlLauon,
whlch ls vlLal for
mlugaung cholera
outbreaks.
Lxpandlng Lhe response
In May 2010, IOM
expanded lL's cholera
response Lo fully cover
Turkana, a largely
nomadic arid region
in north Kenya with
a populauon of [usL
under 833,300 people.
Infrastructure in
Turkana remains
scarce and is a
major at-risk
region.
IOM IN ACTION
- In 2010 IOM conducted 1,289
hea|th educanon sess|ons
promoung cholera prevenuon
ln 1urkana. Cver 492,000
people beneued
- 708,774 re-hydranon sachets
and over 1.7 m||||on aqua tabs
were disseminated in Turkana
Lo vulnerable famllles ln 2010
- lCM's response Leam treated
3SS cases of cho|era
- lCM's cholera response Leam
de-wormed 477,S42 peop|e
|n 1urkana Largeung aL-rlsk
women and children
- 24 hea|th fac|||nes were
re-stocked with cholera
prevenuon klLs ln 1urkana
- lrom !uly Lo november 2009
lCM dlspaLched four rap|d
response teams benemng
82,834 peop|e ln 8l valley,
WesLern and nyanza provlnces
- lCM asslsLed ln semng up a
cho|era treatment centre in
Lodwar dlsLrlcL hosplLal
KENYA
HEALTHY MIGRANTS IN HEALTHY COMMUNITIES
International Organization for Migration
Regional Mission for East & Central Africa
Church Road o Rhapta Road, Westlands
PO Box 55040 00200, Nairobi, Kenya
Tel: +254 20 444 4174
Email: migrationhealthnairobi@iom.int
www.nairobi.iom.int
Cemenung relauonshlps
with district health
management teams,
community and youth
leaders, counsellors and
church leaders , IOM
developed and dlsLrlbuLed
hyglene educauon
materials in both English
and Kiswahili. Pictorials
were created to educate
on basic hygiene and raise
awareness on cholera.
Cver 1,200 educauons
sessions were conducted
in Lodwar and Kakuma,
Lwo of 1urkana's mosL
populaLed Lowns.
8ulldlng capaclLy
Numerous health care
workers, including
nurses and publlc healLh
omcers, were Lralned by
IOM on how to manage
cholera and sanlLauon,
all of whlch wlll help
sLem conLamlnauon
and beneL vulnerable
communlues long-Lerm.
IOM also assisted with the
creauon of cholera
treatment centres and
renovaLed Lhe enure
lsolauon ward aL Lodwar
dlsLrlcL hosplLal.
uesplLe a successful
cholera prevenuon
campalgn, several
challenges sull remaln.
Dr Donald Mogoi, Medical
Cmcer for Lhe MlnlsLry
of Health in Turkana, a
key lCM parLner, belleves
more needs to be done.
Cholera came because
there are long term issues
Whilst there was a
marked change since
IOM and the Ministry
arrlved, we requlre more.
Cholera did not come
because there was an
emergency, cholera came
because there are long
term issues that need to
be addressed, such as
conslsLanL waLer supplles,
healLh promouon and
hyglene educauon. 1hls
is why we require IOM
states Dr Mogoi.

IOM has really played a very important role in our community
of Longech . Since they came here this year they have taught our
people how to prevent cholera. Now we know how to get clean
water by using aqua tablets and the wells.
Chief Moses Lopeyok, Lake Turkana
WE ASSIST:
WITH THANKS TO OUR
PARTNERS:
- Moblle populauons
- Areas aecLed by
cholera
l have llved here for Len years. LasL year my vlllage had
cholera, and my daughLer goL Lhe dlsease. 1he problem
we have ls a lack of LolleLs, so all human wasLe washes
lnLo Lhe lake. 1he chlldren play and drlnk Lhe waLer. 1haL
is how my daughter got cholera.
Paulo Ngorok, Longech village, Lake Turkana
We normally drlnk Lhe waLer from Lhe rlver bed, we
use it for washing clothes and we use it for cooking,
and washlng ourselves. noL so long ago we had cholera
because people do noL usually wash Lhelr hands or
utensils so they normally get diarrhoea. If we get the
aqua tablets we will use them, if not, we will drink the
water untreated.
Beatrice, Kakuma resident
Pere ln kakuma Lhere are low lncome communlues.
1hey cannoL aord Lo buy waLer, even Lhough lL ls only
10 Kenyan shillings for 20 litres.
Grace Khaguli,
IOM Cholera Field Coordinator for Kakuma