Lokichoggio- August 29, 2025 (Public Communications and Media Relations)

The Lokichoggio Sub-County One Health Cross-border Committee has reaffirmed its commitment to improving access to government services, including disease surveillance for underserved communities. This was confirmed during its fourth meeting, held one year after its formation.

Rotich Kipkorir, County One Health Coordinator, emphasized that the One Health approach is designed to serve underserved and hard-to-reach populations in Turkana County.

“We are encouraged to see the progress made with this committee together with the partners here. The planned activities are geared towards ensuring the One Health goals are implemented at the sub-county level,” he said.

Daniel Esimit, Deputy Director Preventive and Promotive Health Services, underscored that strengthening sub-coordination mechanisms is among the critical components of One Health strategy 2023-2027.

“We are here to identify potential deviation points, address challenges, and we believe in the next one year, we will be able to achieve the intended goals and activities planned here today,” he shared.

Lucas Edete, Acting Director Preventive and Promotive Health Services, urged stakeholders to mobilize residents to register on the Social Health Authority (SHA) to benefit from universal healthcare.

“To encourage our residents to register, the County Government has committed to cover the residents registered on SHA over the next year to benefit from medical services at Level 2 and 3 facilities,” he said.

On his part, Victor Wanjohi, Assistant County Commissioner, Lokichoggio Sub-County, said that the recent Kimormor outreach which is a component of One Health has been a lifeline for pastoralist communities.

“We have been able to offer several social services, including registration of national identification cards and civil registrations such as birth certificates. These are key documents needed to access government services,” he explained.

He further noted that involving South-Sudan counterparts has strengthened the protection of both human and animal populations across the border.

Dr Elia Lolem, County Disease Surveillance and Vector Control (Veterinary Services), noted that livestock remains an entry point for the integration of One Health activities given the pastoralist population.

“We are here to discuss with the committee strategies on how we can control transboundary livestock diseases,” he stated.

Fredrick Chepkwony, PREPARE Project Assistant at the Kenya Red Cross Society, explained their role in supporting the committee’s activities.

“PREPARE is intended to strengthen surveillance and enable early warning systems to protect populations from notifiable diseases,” he said.

Catherine Timanoi, Nutrition Technical Officer at Amref Health Africa, added that they provide nutrition and immunization services to children under five, expectant women, and lactating mothers.

“We also offer immunization and nutrition screening services linked with other supportive programs,” she explained.

Representing the sub-county MOH, Public Health Nurse Tilda Adiir highlighted that through One Health, they have been able to reach children under five who previously missed out on immunization services.

Sub-County Administrator Echip Obed said the initiative has been running in Lokichoggio for three years, benefiting thousands of residents.

“The last event benefited about 1,000 residents who received crucial government services including SHA registrations,” he noted, adding that One Health aligns with the Governor’s nine-point agenda on health, environment, and trade.

Community member Ekiru commended the committee for improved vaccination coverage and reduced disease burden. He, however, urged inclusion of water service delivery during outreaches, especially during the rainy season.

Rotich also pointed out that Nadapal, as a key point of entry to Kenya, is crucial for implementing humanitarian and protection services, alongside surveillance for early disease detection and prevention.

The meeting was followed by a visit to Nadapal Health Centre to review progress and an engagement with border agencies—including Customs, Port Health, Kenya Police, and Immigration—on integrating their roles into One Health approaches for stronger disease surveillance and prevention.

Looking ahead, the County Government and the Kenya Red Cross Society are planning a one-month humanitarian intervention in September at Nadapal to enhance cross-border disease surveillance and support both Kenyan and neighboring border pastoralist communities.