Lodwar / Kakuma – October 28, 2025 (Public Communications and Media Relations)

The County Executive for Health Dr Epem Joseph Esekon hosted a delegation from UNICEF to discuss the implementation of the planned Maternal, Newborn, and Child Health (MNCH) Learning Hub Renovation Project at the Lodwar County Referral Hospital (LCRH).

Following the high-level meeting, the delegation—led by Dr Laura Oyiengo, UNICEF’s Maternal and Newborn Health Specialist—toured the proposed renovation site at LCRH. The team proceeded to Turkana West and Lokichoggio sub-counties to explore additional project linkages with Kakuma Sub-County Hospital, Amusait and Natukobenyo refugee hospitals (Turkana West) and Lopiding Sub-County Hospital (Lokichoggio).

Dr Epem acknowledged this visit as a milestone in a long-standing county government’s partnership with UNICEF to improve the quality and accessibility of maternal and newborn health services across the region. The discussions during the visit centered on strengthening service delivery, workforce capacity, and infrastructure as key enablers of improved health outcomes for women and children.

The CECM highlighted that this project which has been an ongoing conversation since 2019, is more than a building saying it is an investment in the health and future of our mothers and children. “By equipping our healthcare workers with the right skills and tools, we are ensuring that every birth in Turkana is safer and every child has a stronger start to life.”

Dr Epem confirmed there have been numerous capacity building exercises for healthcare workers, with the persistent gap being linking knowledge to the acquired skills. “This learning hub can be the solution by connecting the sub-county facilities to the hub in Lodwar through tele-conferencing for continuity,” he said.

The chief officers present echoed the CEC’s sentiments with Agnes Mana (Lodwar County Referral Hospital) who will host the hub stating, the hub will explore full learning potential beneficial to the county’s healthcare workers. On the other hand, Janerose Tioko (Preventive and Promotive Health) shared the hub will also bridge the referrals gap to LCRH improving overall health outcomes by reducing the travel distance.

The meetings also reviewed public health considerations crucial to the project’s success, including infection prevention and control, optimal facility design for patient flow, improved sanitation infrastructure, and the integration of telemedicine technology to enhance access to specialized care in remote sub-counties.

Agnes Makani, the Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH) Engineer at UNICEF shared that UNICEF will also be putting in place a facility improvement tool to enhance services, “Once this tool is done comprehensively, it will inform whether the standards have been met allowing these facilities to assess quick wins at their level,”

The CECM emphasized the need for a holistic approach—where infrastructure improvements go hand-in-hand with continuous staff training, community engagement, and data-driven decision-making to sustain better maternal and newborn health outcomes.

The UNICEF team also introduced the project contractor – La Femme Engineering Services team led by Engineer Joshua Mokaya to the County Health Management Team (CHMT) and County Public Works team. Dr Oyiengo confirmed that the renovation of the hub will commence immediately and conclude by February 2026. “The nine-month project includes three months of renovation works and a six-month defects liability period to ensure quality and compliance with Ministry of Health standards,”

Thomas Mongare, ICT Officer at UNICEF added that once completed, the learning hub will feature a refurbished main training hall, modern ablution blocks, an additional classroom for hands-on maternal and neonatal skills training, and overall site improvements including fencing, landscaping, and a renovated car park.

Adding onto Dr Epem’s statement that this hub will greatly cut costs by moving away from hotel-based workshops toward practical. Dr Oyiengo highlighted UNICEF’s commitment to building resilient health systems and enhancing frontline capacity.

“The hub will serve as a center for simulation-based, hospital-level training, on-site mentorship for healthcare workers. Our goal is to bring learning closer to where care happens. By supporting this renovation, UNICEF is helping healthcare workers in Turkana gain practical, life-saving skills within their own hospital,”

The four high-volume sub-county level facilities were reviewed for the setup of telemedicine ICT equipment and newborn care units (NBUs).

We are here to assess whether these facilities can be included in the technology plan, a case where real-time tele-medicine support can improve health outcomes. To do that we first have to understand what the existing challenges are to determine how our technology can resolve them,” said Joseph Kirunyu, ICT Officer at UNICEF.

Gabriel Lopodo, Director of Family Health services shared the reason Turkana West was considered is because it holds approximately half the total population of the whole Turkana County which is just above 1.2 million. “When you improve healthcare in Turkana West, it will be reflected across the county as most maternal deaths have been reported from this sub-county.

Joel Lochor, the Turkana West Sub- County Medical Officer of Health highlighted that 32 other health facilities are supported by the Kakuma Sub-County hospital which covers a catchment population of about 30,000 residents and over 8,000 children under five. “Half of the neo-natal deaths come from Turkana West with 16 maternal deaths reported this year alone. Having an inter-connected point of learning will improve outcomes for our mothers and children,”

The ICT equipment and neonatal training mannequins have already been delivered to Turkana County.

The recommendations included UNICEF to consider investing on the Newborn units, and support maternity open days and outreaches, mentorship in Kakuma, and capacity building on Maternal and Perinatal Death Surveillance and Response (MPDSR) in the other nine sub-counties (Lokichoggio and Turkana West already been sensitized). It was also recommended for Community Health promoters to share monthly community-based maternal and neo-natal health reports.