Maasai Wilderness Conservation Trust (MWCT) - Kenya
- Kenya
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- Social Services
- Social Services
HEALTH IN KENYA
The Constitution of Kenya 2010 devolved health services to the counties, which meant a complete change in the Health structure and its management in the country. The national Government handles all the level 4 hospitals which offer highly specialized care. Level 3, level 2 and level 1 healthcare centers are under the management of the county governments
Global evidence points to a direct correlation between the size of a country’s health workforce and its health outcomes. Over the last decade, Kenya’s progress in improving the overall health status of its population has had mixed results. While life expectancy has gone up and interventions to address specific diseases including HIV/AIDs, Tuberculosis and Malaria have yielded positive results, much remains to be done.
The top five causes of outpatient morbidity in Kenya are Malaria, Diseases of the Respiratory System (including pneumonia), Skin Diseases, diarrhea and accidents accounting for about 70 percent of total causes of morbidity. Malaria contributes about a third of total outpatient morbidity.
Maasai Wilderness Conservation Trust (MWCT)
The Maasai Wilderness Conservation Trust (MWCT) works to protect the legendary ecosystems and astounding biodiversity of East Africa through conservation that directly benefits local Maasai communities.
In an area spanning over 283,000 acres, MWCT employs the only doctor in the area, supports 5 health facilities with dispensaries and one clinic that is equipped with a modern laboratory for enhanced diagnosis and treatment, plus a lab technician and support staff. All facilities are sustainably solar-powered. MWCT additionally owns and operates the only ambulance service in the area.
PROGRAMES
Outtreaches to remote and underserved areas has resulted in improved immunization coverage among children, prenatal care among expectant mothers, and early disease detection and treatment including breast cancer and cervical cancer screenings.
MWCT holds regular sports tournaments as a form of youth friendly health promotion, with these events serving as forums for reproductive health seminars, and voluntary testing and counseling for HIV/AIDS.
Along with conducting annual advocacy workshops against Female Genital Mutilation (FGM), MWCT is pursuing further initiatives to alleviate the prevalence of this act and encourage non-participation amongst families, teenage girls and community men.