More than 150,000 children under the age of
five die of preventable diseases, says a World Health Organization (WHO)
report. It cites pneumonia, malaria and diarrhea, resulting to malnutrition, as
the main causes of deaths in Kenya.
Ministry of Medical Services said this was
an indication that Kenya’s hopes of achieving the Millennium Development Goals
(MDGs) by 2025 were bleak. The ministry made particular reference to goals
which focus on reduction of child mortality and improvement of maternal health.
In 2011 we lost 188,928 children.
According to WHO report, Nyanza (in the
west of the Country) was top on the list of provinces with the highest number
preventable child deaths, followed by Western Province, while Central Province has
lowest numbers.
Hand washing, breast-feeding for at least
six months after birth, using mosquito nets and timely medical treatment were
among the suggestions made by the ministry to reduce child mortality.
Twenty women in Kenya die every day due to
pregnancy related complications. 45% of the cases were caused by haemorrhage
during delivery, while hypertension accounted for 12% of the cases, and 13%
were due to infections acquired during pregnancy.
However, the WHO report indicates that Kenya
had made progress in child immunization, as the number had improved by 20%
since 2008.
Bro Beppe
Source
Daily Nation, Friday May 18
2012. Article by Lillian Onyango
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