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A delegation of US & Israeli pediatricians visited Kakuma Refugee Camp in famine & drought-affected Turkana County, Kenya, with IsraAID. Ongoing drought conditions have left 3.4 million people across Kenya severely food insecure and 500,000 without access to water. In Kakuma, these conditions affect more than 185,000 refugees from across East and Central Africa, exacerbating medical needs.

Kakuma’s two hospitals and six clinics, operated by the International Rescue Committee and Kakuma Mission Hospital, serve an estimated 300,000 people from both refugee and host communities. Together, the medical facilities are staffed permanently by a maximum of six doctors, all general practitioners, at any one time. Nearly 60% of Kakuma’s refugee population is under the age of 18, highlighting the need for specialist pediatric care and training. In addition to treating patients, the visiting physicians delivered training sessions in pediatrics for Kakuma’s medical staff. Improving the capability of the camp’s medical staff to treat specialized cases is vital to ensuring that lifesaving care can reach both refugee and Turkana communities.

Major health issues affecting Kakuma’s residents vary, and have recently included malaria, lung infections, tuberculosis, HIV, malnutrition and cholera. By providing up-to-date training in pediatrics, the visiting physicians helped make a real difference to the long-term prospects of Kakuma’s children.

Mercy, a doctor at the IRC General Hospital in Kakuma, said:

"We're so happy to have you here. It's so helpful for me, it's so hard to do rounds alone every day. This has given me much a morale boost. It's so challenging here. I so appreciate having a sounding board. It's amazing to sit with other doctors, who are specialists, and make a patient plan."

Thank you for your support! More updates to follow …

Links:

• Press coverage of the medical mission to Kakuma