A research project implemented in Turkana South over an 18-month period has demonstrated that caregiver-led child nutrition screening can significantly improve the early detection of malnutrition and ensure timely referral of affected children for treatment.
The findings were presented during a three-day validation workshop for the R-SWITCH project report, jointly implemented by the Turkana County Government and the International Rescue Committee (IRC).
Speaking during the validation exercise, Turkana Southa nd Aroo Sub-County Medical Officer of Health Veronica Ereng said the initiative has addressed delays in identifying malnourished children at both household and community levels.
She explained that caregivers, who previously relied on Community Health Promoters (CHPs) and health workers to assess children’s nutritional status, can now conduct bi-weekly screening at home, allowing for earlier identification of malnutrition and prompt referral to health facilities.
Turkana South Nutrition Coordinator Joseph Karagu said the project has strengthened caregivers’ confidence and commitment to monitoring the nutritional wellbeing of their children.
According to Karagu, caregivers quickly embraced the use of simplified Mid-Upper Arm Circumference (MUAC) tapes and mobile phone reporting, making it easier to identify children at risk while reducing the workload on health facilities.
“The intervention has empowered caregivers to take greater responsibility for their children’s nutrition while creating community champions who actively promote early detection and treatment of malnutrition,” he said.
Turkana South Sub-County Nutrition Coordinator William Abong noted that the project has improved the coverage of the Integrated Management of Acute Malnutrition (IMAM) programme by enabling trained caregivers to identify and refer children for treatment much earlier.
Despite the positive outcomes, health officials acknowledged that child malnutrition remains a challenge in parts of the sub-county.
Turkana South Health Records Officer Dorothy Maasai said child wasting continues to be driven by competing livelihoods activites, particularly mining in Aroo Sub-County, which limits the amount of time caregivers spend monitoring their children.
She added that boys are disproportionately affected because many begin herding livestock at a young age, reducing parental supervision and routine nutrition monitoring.
Maasai also highlighted shortages of nutrition commodities and reporting tools, noting that stock-outs in some health facilities have disrupted treatment programmes and discouraged caregivers from seeking nutrition services.
Health officials expressed optimism that scaling up caregiver-led nutrition screening across more communities could strengthen early identification of malnutrition, improve treatment outcomes and contribute to reducing child wasting in Turkana County,
