Our commuNities are facing a dual emergency
Ongoing since March, a strike by Kenya’s medical workers union has paralyzed access to affordable healthcare across the country, threatening the lives of its most vulnerable citizens. The crisis in accessing healthcare services is now compounded by major flooding across the country from days of heavy rainfall.
This rainfall has been devastating to families living in informal settlements along the Nairobi River. Flood waters have mixed with pit latrines and the sewer system, causing a greater threat of water-borne diseases like cholera (an ongoing issue in Kenya), typhoid, and dysentery. Furthermore, thousands have been displaced across the informal settlements of Kibera and Mathare.
Our clinical and community health teams continue working to mitigate the effects of these challenges on our communities.
CFK Africa’s three health facilities remain operational and our ambulance is on standby to address medical emergencies. Key components of our response to these dual emergencies include actions to mitigate diarrheal diseases during flooding and filling a critical gap in maternal and child healthcare.
Our Tabitha Maternity Home is addressing the urgent need for maternal health services. We are on track to deliver 80 babies in April alone, up from a monthly average of 26, a 200% increase in our deliveries. We are also mobilizing a network of 150 community health promoters to conduct household visits for mothers and visits to educate our communities on the effects of contaminated water. We hope that you will consider supporting our informal settlement communities during this time of increased need.
