Compared to its neighboring countries, Kenya has always been relatively stable. However, post-election violence broke out in December 2007, resulting in mass internal displacement. With thousands of people still in camps and reluctant to go home, humanitarian needs are still great.
Rising food prices and cyclical drought have exacerbated the situation and in the arid north of the country, malnutrition rates have soared above the emergency threshold. Those hardest hit are the pastoralist communities of Turkana and Wajir where up to 30 percent of children are malnourished.
Although the number of people living with HIV throughout Kenya has decreased in recent years, many regions continue to experience soaring levels of new cases. In some areas of Nyanza province up to 40 percent of the population is HIV-positive.
HOW MERLIN IS HELPING:
Merlin has been working in Kenya since 1998. The team, comprising 10 international and 130 local staff, focus on malaria control and prevention, TB, HIV/AIDS, health and nutrition, drought mitigation and emergency response.
Responding to the food crisis
Merlin is working with the local health authorities to support 600,000 people from pastoralist communities in Wajir and Turkana. Ensuring outreach to these remote areas is crucial. With a network of village volunteers, Merlin is operating at over 150 sites where nomadic pastoralists can gather to receive primary health care including immunization, antenatal and post natal care as well as prevention and treatment of common diseases. The village volunteers carry out nutritional screening of children under 5 years old and refer malnourished children to health facilities that provide high-energy food and medical treatment if necessary.
Emergency response
Just under 600,000 people lost their homes as a result of the post-election violence in January 2008, mostly in Western Nyanza and the Rift Valley.
Merlin responded immediately by distributing mosquito nets, essential medicines and supplies to those most affected. We continue to provide vital services for those who have not returned to their homes, ensuring they have access to basic health care and preventing any further outbreak of disease. Interventions have included counseling and testing for HIV and AIDS as well as nutrition management training for Ministry of Health staff in Nyando district.
Controlling HIV, malaria and TB
Merlin has two mobile teams running voluntary HIV testing and counseling clinics in Turkana for nomadic pastoralists, and a similar project which supports patients receiving anti-retroviral treatment in the Rift Valley. Many people with TB have also contracted HIV and vice-versa, and the co-infection rate is rising rapidly. Merlin is working closely with the Kenyan government to encourage HIV-positive people and TB patients to be tested for both infections. In Nyanza, Merlin is training local residents to provide home-based care for people living with HIV.
Lack of awareness of HIV and a migratory lifestyle mean that matatu crews (local bus drivers) and fishermen face a higher-than-average risk of contracting and spreading HIV. Merlin is training matatu and fishing groups, as well as members of beach communities in Nyanza province, to raise HIV awareness and prevention. Running alongside the project are mother and child health clinics, screening and treatment for malaria as well as an immunization program. We're also supporting theatre groups which perform HIV awareness-raising shows along the shores of Lake Victoria and encourage people to go for voluntary testing.
Malaria prevention
Malaria re-appeared in the western highlands of Kenya after decades of elimination. Working in the high-risk Nyanza Province, Merlin is training community health workers to spot the warning signs of the disease. Working closely with local health authorities, Merlin is using three of the most effective methods of reducing and preventing malaria: awareness raising, bed net distribution and spraying people’s homes with insecticide.
Key achievements
• We treated over 7,000 malnourished children in Northern Kenya this year
• We responded immediately to the election violence in December 2007 and continue to support those affected. By September 2008, our mobile teams had treated 25,015 internally displaced people as well as the surrounding communities, vaccinated 2,023 children and provided health and hygiene education to 13,185 people.
• Treating 64 children for Kala Azar at the district hospital in Wajir
Donors supporting Merlin's work
CHF (PEPFAR), Constella Futures Group, Department for International Development (DFID), European Community Humanitarian Office (ECHO), the Global Fund for HIV, TB and Malaria, Leris, Man Group, Office of U.S. Foreign Disaster Assistance (OFDA), UNICEF.
Read more about Kenya
Field diary: Volunteers helping Kenyan nomads tackle drought and illness
Nov 16 2009: Alex Cottin, Regional Director for Merlin USA visited health programs aiding nomadic communities of northwestern Kenya.
Kenya: Tackling TB in Turkana
Jul 7 2009: Benetta arrived at the Merlin-supported Lodwar Hospital severely malnourished, vomiting blood and suffering from chronic diarrhea.
Kenya: Field diary from Wajir
Aug 20 2008: Charley Stone from Merlin’s fundraising team writes about her recent visit to Kenya, where she witnessed Merlin’s lifesaving medical team in action.
Kenya: the devastating consequences of conflict
Feb 14 2008: Women in Kenya are being subjected to horrific sexual violence as their country struggles to find peace.
Natasha Kaplinsky reports on Kenya drought
Jan 16 2007: A personal account of drought affected communities in Wajir
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