- Title p-KEN-1223.jpg
- Record Creation Date
- Summary Awaiting review
- Resolution
- Region Africa
- Archive series
- Archive source format
- Exif Date 2019:06:20 08:50:42
- IPTC Date 20190620
- XMP Create Date 2019-06-20T08:50:42.75+02:00
- Alt Ref No
- Alternative title
- Date_Taken 1st January 2010
- Keywords Health
- Language English: EN
- Location
- Music
- Reference Number DSC_1082.JPG
- Rights usage terms For non-commercial use
- Subtitles
- Copyright owner IFRC/Corrie Butler
- Country Kenya
- Credit line IFRC/Corrie Butler
- Existing Description Jackline Nyaboke, 17 years old, presents her poem on anthrax prevention during a school club exercise in Narok town, Kenya. Kenya Red Cross, in partnership with government authorities is harnessing the power of youth to help tackle health outbreaks. In Narok County, western Kenya, school clubs have been developed to empower young people to become “champions” in their community to prevent, detect and respond to disease outbreaks. In an area of the country where you deep-rooted cultural practices often put people at risk of the spread of disease. Narok county largely host the Maasai Mara game park and mainly inhabited by the Maasai community who heavily rely on livestock as a way of life. Maasai have kept many of their old traditions and ways of life. Cows and other livestock are treasured in their culture – some even sleep next to their livestock. If there is a suspicious death of a cow, families will not let the animal go to waste. They will often examine the animal and if it does not seemingly look bad, they will eat the carcass. This ultimately, helps disease spread quickly in the community. In addition, some families are more likely to go to a local traditional healer before they seek a health facility. This means that if they come to a health facility, it is often much later in the infection, which puts their life at risk and further spreads the disease. The school clubs have already shown incredible progress. Within weeks of the school clubs being set up in these communities, several cases of anthrax were brought forward and rapidly responded to before more family members got sick. Students bring the knowledge they gain and share them with family, ensuring they help prevent diseases from spreading. This includes sharing information about adequate sanitation and hygiene, not eating the carcass of a sick animal, reporting any suspicious death or illness of an animal, as well as burying and handling them safely. Kenya Red Cross, with the support of IFRC and funding from USAID, is helping improve community’s ability to respond before, during and after epidemics occur. Red Cross is working with national and local authorities collectively with national and local authorities in health, agriculture, veterinary services and education to help change deeply-rooted behaviors and improve systems that detect and act on outbreaks early and preventing them from becoming epidemics.
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