The County Government of Turkana, in partnership with UNICEF and Save the Children, has concluded a two-day sensitization training for 19 Trainers of Trainers (ToTs) on integrating Integrated Community Case Management (iCCM) with Community Management of Acute Malnutrition (CMAM).
The initiative targets Turkana, Mandera, and Marsabit counties, where malnutrition and child mortality rates remain among the highest in Kenya.
Beginning September 8, the newly trained ToTs will cascade their knowledge to 168 Community Health Promoters (CHPs) and 18 facility health workers across Loima, Lokiriama, Turkana Central, and Kibish sub-counties.
The integrated training equips CHPs to better identify and treat malnutrition, pneumonia, malaria, and diarrhoea, the leading killers of children under five in Turkana.
Chief Officer for Medical Services, Dr. Gilchrist Lokoel, described the initiative as a milestone in child health interventions.
“Integrating iCCM with CMAM will reduce maternal and child mortality while improving treatment and referral outcomes. By empowering CHPs with knowledge, we ensure holistic care and better health for our children,” he said.
Chief Officer for Preventive and Promotive Health Services, Janerose Tioko, emphasized collaboration with partners to close research gaps and improve health outcomes.
“This is the team we are relying on to realize the department’s goals on reducing child mortalities,” she noted.
Dr. Lokoel stressed that the program goes beyond training.
“It gives hope to mothers and children by taking solutions to the grassroots,” he said.
Other health officials echoed the importance of the initiative. Dr. Joseph Lolepo, Director for Community Health Services, said continuous technical supervision will maximize efficiency and expand coverage.
Dr. David Moru, Director for Health Products and Technologies, added that CHPs have been central to life-saving strategies since iCCM was introduced nearly a decade ago, and integrating CMAM will further improve child survival.
The training complements an ongoing research study by Save the Children and the Kenya Medical Research Institute (KEMRI) to generate local evidence on integrating uncomplicated malnutrition treatment into the iCCM-CMAM model.
UNICEF Nutrition Support Officer Benson Musau urged stakeholders to avoid the data gaps of the 2018 pilot study, while Save the Children’s Program Manager for Turkana, Shariff Abdalla, underlined the urgency of the work:
“This is a great call to strengthen child survival and resilience. By 2030, we aim to reduce child mortality by 25%,” he said.
According to the 2022 Kenya Demographic and Health Survey, Turkana’s under-five mortality rate stands at 55 per 1,000 live births, significantly above the national average of 41.
This underscores the need for integrated, evidence-based interventions to strengthen child survival in the county.
The training brought together medical officers, nurses, nutritionists, and community health assistants, alongside Master ToTs including Deputy Director for Clinical Services Samuel Lokemer, Deputy Director for Nursing Services Alice Akalapatan, Deputy Director Nutrition Calis Elamach, and County Laboratory Quality Assurance Officer Amos Ekitela.
County leaders expressed optimism that the initiative will not only reduce preventable deaths but also build a stronger foundation for food security, maternal health, and child well-being in Turkana and the wider ASAL region.