Transform health in a Kenyan slum with just $26

Health organizations worldwide treat even a single case of polio very seriously.  According to the Global Polio Eradication Initiative, “Most people infected with the polio virus have no signs of illness and are never aware they have been infected. For this reason, the WHO considers a single confirmed case of polio paralysis to be evidence of an epidemic – particularly in countries where very few cases occur.”

In 2013, 14 cases of polio were reported from the refugee camp in Dadaab (located in Northeastern Kenya). This was Kenya’s first occurrence of the disease since 2011. In response to the reported cases, the government of Kenya, supported by UNICEF and the WHO, began a polio immunization campaign in areas where the risk of polio is highest, such as in the refugee camps, on the borders, etc. Nairobi was also identified as a risk area, due to its population and transient nature. Social mobilization campaigns were organized within communities to draw awareness to the risk of polio, the importance of immunizations, and places/times where immunizations are available.

Carolina for Kibera’s volunteer Community Health Workers (CHWs) were rallied into the campaign. The government set the target of reaching 95% of children under the age of five (the most vulnerable population) in the three villages where CFK’s health programs operate. CHWs got to work, going door-to-door talking to their neighbors about getting their children immunized against polio.

Recently a report of the polio immunization campaign was released that indicated the targeted number of children under the age of five to be reached (11,123) in the villages where CFK works was met and surpassed by 32%. This means that a total of 14,651 children were immunized against polio and that CHWs managed to reach beyond the target to new families who had moved into the area or those who were passing through the three villages. None of the other villages in Kibera surpassed their targets. The second highest reach was 92%.

Not only does the polio campaign illustrate the effective way a community can rally around a cause and support one another, but it shows the high level of organization and trust that is present in places where CFK’s health program operates.

During a monthly parents’ meeting at CFK’s Nutrition Center, a young mother gets up and walks towards a makeshift hand-washing station at the front of the room. A Community Health Worker (CHW) is standing next to it, encouraging volunteers to come up and try it out. The young mother giggles as she turns to the other parents, who are standing and leaning between each other to watch. She then turns and begins to wash her hands. When she is finished, the CHW applauds her and asks the other parents what they saw. “She didn’t wash under her fingernails,” one mother says. “She needed to wash farther up her wrists,” says another.

This forum is jovial and friendly, but behind the community laughter is the hard truth that anyone living in Kenya learns: clean hands save lives. Unlike in the US where bacteria and parasites are usually separated from our food, water, and way of life, in Kibera, there is no separation. The best protection against water born diseases, food poisoning and cross contamination illnesses is proper sanitation and hygiene, with hand-washing being a large part of this.

Thanks to the support of Ronald McDonald House of Charity (RMHC) CFK’s integrated health programs have been rallying the community to pay close attention to hand washing as part of their daily routines. The campaign “Your Health is in Your Hands” is being promoted across CFK programs.

The Tabitha Clinic, in partnership with CDC, recently noted that the incidences of typhoid have reduced. Typhoid is a serious disease that is connected with areas where water is contaminated and there is a lack of sanitation. While it’s not certain why cases have reduced in Kibera, clinicians have speculated that the increased education of hand washing and better sanitation practices have made an impact in stopping the spread of the disease.

CFK determined that its first priority for this behavior change program would be to focus on population groups whose practices have the greatest influence on children, as they are at a higher risk of serious, long-term health issues and developmental problems as a result of illnesses. So far, the campaign has reached 1,541 households with children under the age of five, 32 pregnant women and 16 traditional birth attendants who regularly help women give birth at home and interact with pregnant women and new mothers.

While the repetition of hand-washing information can seem superfluous to those looking in from the outside, the reminders and continuous dialogue about the issue build long-term habits for healthier living. For this reason, CHWs take their time visiting households and continue to hold forums to talk about the critical nature of hand-washing and proper sanitation and hygiene for the long-term health of families.