Lodwar- July 6, 2025 (Public Communication and Media Relations)
The Department of Health and Sanitation has completed a five-day pilot study on environmental surveillance (ES) for poliovirus and other enteric viruses, targeting high-risk areas and populations.
The study aims at enhancing early detection and facilitating prompt response interventions across the county.
The research, a collaboration between the County Disease Surveillance Unit and Kenya Medical Research Institute (KEMRI), targets high-risk social places such as hotels, schools, hospitals, border entry points. The study also targeted public markets in Lodwar Township, Kalokol (Turkana Central), Kakuma Refugee Camp, Kakuma Town, and Kalobeyei (Turkana West), and Lokichoggio sub-county.
Supported by the International Rescue Committee (IRC), the study complements existing routine polio surveillance strategies and strengthens community surveillance on exploratory use of non-flowing streams in environmental surveillance.
The County Disease Surveillance Coordinator Absolom Kuya outlined the team assessed environmental sites for community surveillance of non-flowing streams. This included collecting samples from the mapped sites for polio virus analysis, the findings will enhance monitoring of key performance immunization indicators.
“This surveillance study plays a vital role in detecting polioviruses and enteric viruses early, especially in high-risk areas. Our goal is to strengthen disease detection and improve response efforts,” he said.
He also pointed out that sampling septic tanks and pit latrines posed at evaluating the feasibility of using alternative environmental sampling locations, particularly in areas with high polio transmission.
Out of the 24 sites mapped, 17 were sampled, and the analysis is currently underway, with expected results in a month.
According to Stephen Ombija, Research Scientist in Environmental Surveillance at KEMRI, the pilot initiative has been instrumental in demonstrating the feasibility and strategic value of environmental sampling for polioviruses and other enteric pathogens of public health significance, particularly within the context of key populations in Turkana County.
“Moving forward, our collaboration with the County Government of Turkana, supported by the Ministry of Health, will prioritize capacity strengthening for the possibility of routine environmental surveillance for polioviruses and the application of scientific evidence to inform targeted public health interventions,” he stated.
The following steps will take place based on the findings from the lab analysis including suitable sites will be selected, and Turkana County will for the first time be annexed as an Environmental Surveillance (ES) site. Surveillance teams including CHPs, CHAs, public health officers will be engaged to routinely conduct ES for early detection, reporting & response interventions. It is also expected that this will improve health outcomes of our population.
