Health Update - Tetanus Campaign

We would love to share a brief, but exciting new update for the MWCT Health Program which occurred in September of 2013. On September 13-19, the Maasai Wilderness Conservation Trust supported the Ministry of Health Tetanus Campaign by arranging a series of outreaches.

This campaign aimed to support women that are at a reproductive age - and are therefor more susceptible to the tetanus disease. Because this is a very fatal disease, the importance of immunization was emphasized through these outreaches as it is preventable with provided immunizations. MWCT Health Staff complied with the campaign by ensuring the message of the importance of this immunization was communicated.  

A local woman receives a tetanus immunization

This Maternal and Neonatal Tetanus Campaign was launched by the Kenya Ministry of Health to ensure a commitment to the global goal of controlling, eliminating, and eradicating vaccine-preventable diseases in Kenya.   

School girls queue to receive immunizations

MWCT organized three health outreaches to the villages of Kuku, Samai, and Enkusero to ensure that the communities living far away from the campaign would still receive the benefits that the campaign provided. As a result of this, Iltilal Health Centre exceeded it's target by 18%, which was 175 women above the targeted number.

MWCT Ambulance Success Story!

Recently, here at MWCT, we had the opportunity to give a presentation to some special guests, hosted at the Chyulu Conservation and Research Center. Stories of our Conservation, Education, and Health Programs were shared and discussed throughout the afternoon.

Our Health Program Development Director, Lena Koh, shared a wonderful success story with those in attendance at the presentation in regards to our ambulance!

Our ambulance "Anna"

Our ambulance was donated to MWCT in 2012 by Anna Kulidjian. The unit was a tremendous addition to the Health Program, as has further allowed for expanded reaches of medical capabilities, and rapid transport of extremely sick patients which were tasks that were nearly impossible without the use of this vehicle. It has proved tremendous convenience for the Maasai in Kuku Group Ranch thus far.

It's uses became specifically crucial for one particular medical emergency that occurred last week. On October 16 at 4 p.m., a local Maasai woman was brought to the Iltilal Health Centre by her mother in law and traditional birth attendant. This pregnant woman was having contractions for the previous four hours in her home. Upon arriving to the Centre, MWCT medical staff did a physical exam, palpitations, and a vaginal exam (VE). Upon performing these exams, they realized that it was a cord presentation. This can occur during pregnancy when the umbilical cord descends before the fetus prior to delivery. It is a definite obstetrical emergency and requires a immediate emergency cesarian section - if a natural delivery were to take place, the baby would must likely suffer from hypoxia and it would be fatal).

Our ambulance was dispatched immediately and the MWCT Health team rushed to Loitokitok district hospital (over 50 km on dirt road and averages over and hour driving time). The ambulance, the team, and the woman made it to the hospital in record time (less than one hour, while driving through military road blocks with sirens on) - and the medical staff at the maternity unit were ready and on hand to receive the woman. The team worked together to prep the patient for surgery and then she was rushed into the theatre. The emergency c-section was performed. The baby had to receive resuscitation due to his severe distress, but he was successfully saved! Staff stated that if the surgery was delayed any longer, the baby would not have survived.

View of the inside of our ambulance

It is stories like this that are shared and further place tremendous importance on the support that is given to MWCT, and certainly in regards to the donation of our ambulance. It's services have continued to provide extraordinary emergency assistance to community members and we are very proud of this particular success story.

Our ambulance servicing many villages located within Kuku Group Ranch

Health Update - Outreaches and Education Day

We would like to sincerely apologize for our delay in sharing the efforts of the trust for the past few weeks on this blog! However, there has still be plenty of activity within our programs, and the MWCT Health Program has been very busy this past month. The MWCT Health Staff accomplished four village outreach programs in the month of September to different communities within Kuku Group Ranch. These community outreaches are accompanied by MWCT Heath Staff, government health staff, as well as the community health workers.

Village members wait patiently for services provided in our outreaches

These community health outreaches continually aim to mobilize information to Maasai community members to create an understanding of the programs of the Maasai Wilderness Conservation Trust, and the services provided within.

As an added outreach, MWCT Health staff took the wonderful opportunity to deworm 333 school children as they were all gathered in Olorika for the Maasai Wilderness Conservation Trust Education Day. The MWCT Education Day is a day celebration that is hosted for the primary school located within Kuku Group Ranch that receives the highest top marks on the KCPE exams (Kenya Certificate of Primary Education).

Deworming pills are handed out to school children in Olorika

In other very exciting news for the MWCT Health Program, the Iltilal Health Centre received the most amount of child deliveries under skilled care at the health facility in the month of September. This is very exciting for our program, as it is the highest monthly total for this year! Furthermore, the proposed renovations in the Langata dispensary have now been completed. As a result of these renovations, a new room has been constructed that will now act as a post-delivery room, as well as serving double-purpose as a room for Dr. Gabriel to stay on his 3-day outreaches to this village.

Continued efforts in health outreaches to villages of Kuku, Olorika, and Oltiasika

Furthermore, we would like to share the following link that has displayed the MWCT Health Program efforts to utilize Medical Aid Films in the communities with the Kuku Group Ranch. Maasai Wilderness Conservation Trust is featured on their website here: http://medicalaidfilms.org/working-in-the-maasai/

Health Update - Community Outreaches and Health Workers

The past months have been exciting ones here at the MWCT Health Program, as we continue our outreaches to all the communities of Kuku Group Ranch.  Recently we've been able to visit Olorika, Kuku, Oltiasika, Dip, and Langata Villages.  Most villages we try to visit once per month, though in Kuku Village we aim for twice per month.

Lena meets with a group of CHWs in Langata Village.

During our outreaches we meet with community members and often provide limited medical services and examinations.  We set up an outpatient clinic and dispense deworming medicine to children, as well as offering antenatal care and immunization clinics.  In November we partnered with Kenya's Ministry of Public Health to immunize over 750 children against the measles, and our trachoma campaign in December reached more than 3,400 Maasai.

Oltiasika CHWs prepare for an outreach by organizing supplies.

Each region's Community Health Workers (CHWs) are an invaluable part of our outreaches, working with us before and during the day to ensure a successful event.  Before MWCT's staff arrives, they publicize the outreach throughout their communities, often going door-to-door to spread the news.  They also secure a meeting place, organize supplies, and alert us to any special needs.  At the event itself, they organize attendees, help with evaluations, and arrange for any necessary follow-up actions. 

Steve works with CHWs in Olorika to map bomas in their area using Google Earth.

We've also been using the outreaches to continue our mapping of bomas (household clusters) on Kuku, so that we have a better sense of where people live and how the CHWs can distribute their efforts to best reach  everyone.  The Community Health Workers really enjoy seeing their villages on Google Earth, and are able to quickly group and identify visible bomas.  By having one MWCT staff member work with the CHWs on this mapping while the others conduct the outreach, a single day's work can be extremely productive.  We plan to continue these successful community outreaches throughout the upcoming months, and continue to improve access to healthcare for all the Maasai of Kuku Group Ranch

Our nurse Sam administers immunizations to children in Dip Villlage.