By Dorothy Musyoka
Following the diverse effects of climate change in the country including floods and landslides occasioned by the rains experienced in the March, April, and May rainy seasons efforts are being made in different sectors for safety measures and wellbeing of the nation.
The Ministry of Health through the State Department of Public Health and Professional Standards is stressing the urgency of addressing nutrition concerns amidst the environmental challenges brought about by floods, landslides, and food insecurity.
According to the ministry, pregnant and breastfeeding women, infants, and young children are particularly vulnerable to nutritional deficiencies during such emergencies.
“Pregnant and breastfeeding women, infants, and young children are particularly vulnerable to nutritional deficiencies during such emergencies,” the Ministry of Health indicated
Principal Secretary for Public Health and Professional Standards, Mary Muthoni Muriuki, issued an advisory providing guidance for each vulnerable group.
The guidance included recommendations to seek assistance from health service providers or humanitarian organizations within displacement camps, maintain intake of essential supplements, increase meal intake to support nutrition, ensure hydration, and adhere to exclusive breastfeeding practices.
Furthermore, the Ministry has outlined a set of measures undertaken as part of its response to flooding. These encompass coordinating meetings, strategically positioning nutritional resources, conducting screenings for malnutrition, scheduling mass screenings in displacement camps, swiftly assessing situations, reallocating health and nutrition services, and vigilantly monitoring compliance with regulations to prevent the improper promotion of foods for infants and young children.
The PS for Public Health emphasized the importance of collective action to safeguard the nutritional well-being of mothers, infants, and young children during these challenging times.
The Ministry’s advisory acts as a timely intervention to address and lessen the negative consequences of the extended rainy season on the health and nutritional well-being of vulnerable populations throughout the country.