January 30, 2024 (Public Communication and Media Relations)

County Health Department, supported by UNICEF Kenya, held a workshop to plan on piloting a monitoring program for Rural and Urban Hygiene and Sanitation (RUSH) in Turkana County.

The RUSH aspect recognizes a range of approaches and systems that will be required to reach sanitation, hygiene, and environmental health goals that will be monitored through the Real Time Information System (RTMIS).

Speaking at the opening of the workshop, County Chief Officer for Preventive and Promotive Peter Lomorukai commended the efforts by Public Health Officers (PHOs) as health and hygiene had significantly improved across the county.

“Turkana County has not reported a single case of cholera since 2020. This is a positive indication that the hygiene and sanitation program implemented by the PHOs and community health services staff in the county is working,” he said.

He further added that the RUSH approach will be an upgrade to the existing RTMIS that has encountered challenges over the last few months.

Furthermore, he mentioned that the county government is working towards sustaining the current approaches which include committing resources to Community-led Total Sanitation (CLTS) as per the Kenya Sanitation Alliance Framework.

Deputy Country Head for the Department of Environmental Health and National Government representative, Janet Mule, said that the RUSH protocol would monitor safe waste management, hygiene, and sanitation as well as improved nutrition as per the Kenya Rural Sanitation Hygiene Guidelines.

In attendance were Daniel Esimit – Deputy Director for Public Health, Innocent Sifuna -County Public Health Officer, Kibiego Reuben – County WASH Coordinator, Department of Environmental Health and Peace Winds Japan representatives, and PHOs from Loima and Turkana Central.