Clinicians working in the County and those providing HIV Testing Services have received training on clinical management of sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) to provide better services to the survivors.
The Department of Health and Sanitation in collaboration with USAID Imarisha Jamii organized a four-day training, aimed at capacity building the healthcare providers to promote the understanding of the cases, contributing factors, risks and vulnerabilities, and effects of SGBV.
During his opening remarks, the County Chief Officer for Preventive and Promotive Health, Peter Lomorukai noted that the training was the first GBV training in Turkana based on the National’s Ministry of Health modules.
“This is for the first time we are conducting such training, which is becoming a game changer in Turkana’s health sector, to improve the clinical management of the SGBV cases,” he said.
He appreciated USAID Imarisha Jamii for the continued support and requested to upscale the training.
The participants were drawn from a few facilities out of the 282 health facilities across the county.
The USAID Imarisha Jamii Ag. Chief of Party, Dr. Evans Osembo, stated that GBV was common but it goes unreported, compared to the sexual violence thus urged the participants to be vigilant of other forms of violence.
The Head of the Family Health Division, Gabriel Lopodo, told the participants that Kenya was committed to ending HIV/AIDS as a public health concern and forms of sexual and gender-based violence by the year 2030.
He highlighted that the training would improve the quality of care to the survivors as the county worked towards suppressing and eradicating SGBV issues in Turkana County.
With the national and county governments focusing on adolescent and youth programs, GBV training will provide clinicians and other healthcare providers with the right procedure when handling such cases.
Some of the risk factors, associated with SGBV were teenage pregnancies and early child marriages.
The healthcare workers were urged to involve the police, national administrative units, and the Ministry of Education as key stakeholders to strengthen collaboration to end SGBV.
