Turkana county: The Department of Health and Sanitation in Turkana County has trained over 40 sub-county health vaccine depot managers on vaccine management as part of ongoing efforts to ensure the region remains free from vaccine-preventable diseases.

According to Kenya News Agency, the exercise was facilitated by the county government with support from the National Vaccination Program on Immunisation and the United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS). Acting Director for Preventive and Promotive Health Services, Lucas Edete, emphasized the importance of identifying areas with low vaccination rates and addressing the contributing factors to improve vaccine uptake in Turkana.

He highlighted the significance of optimizing resources from strategic collaborations to enhance immunisation activities across the county. County Expanded Program on Immunisation (EPI) Coordinator, Daniel Erus, noted a significant improvement in vaccination coverage through enhanced strategies, with healthcare facilities enabled to carry out immunisation programs increasing from 130 to 230.

Peter Etee, County Health Records and Information Director, stated that the training will equip the sub-county healthcare team to promote data-driven decision-making in pursuit of immunisation goals. Godfrey Akolong, Director of the Kalobeyei Integrated Socio-Economic Development Plan (KISEDP), underscored the importance of extending such training opportunities to private clinic owners providing immunisation services to ensure quality and consistency across service delivery.

Veronica Ereng, Aroo Sub-County Medical Officer of Health, described the training as crucial for determining accurate vaccine potency and updating cold-chain equipment at the sub-county level. The event was attended by county and sub-county health management teams, medical officers of health, and EPI depot managers from various sub-counties.