County Government pledges to support World Vision’s Child and Maternal Health project
May 28, 2013...The Governor of Kilifi County Mr Amason Kingi says his team will work with World Vision to put more efforts in reducing child and maternal mortality in the county.
Recognising the past efforts put in place by World Vision in improving lives of the residents, Mr Kingi said his team will work on marrying the county’s health strategic plan with World Vision Kenya’s national health plan to strengthen the fight against diseases that threaten the survival of children.
Some of the diseases that are prevalent among children under five are pneumonia, malaria and diarrhea. Kenya’s 2013 Economic Survey report lists pneumonia as the leading cause of death among children under five. According to statistics one in every five deaths is attributed to pneumonia.
Kilifi is one of the top 20 counties where residents spend a significant part of their income on health. According to statistics from Kenya Open Data every resident of Kilifi County spends an average of 26 per cent of their income on health. It ranks 15th of the 47 Counties. Lamu County residents also at Kenya's coastal region spend the biggest part of their income on health, with each person spending an average of 50 per cent of their income.
Mr Kingi also assured he would seek the input of World Vision in developing the county’s health plan to ensure harmony and effectiveness in running the county’s health programme.
He was making the remarks during a courtesy call by World Vision Kenya Child Health Now Campaign team in his Kilifi office, at Kenya’s coastal region.
The team was engaging the governor in a move to influence health policy from the top. Kenya’s new Constitution establishes devolved governments with the mandate to deliver services to the counties and the governor is the executive head of the county. The County Executive Committee members assist the governor.
Mr. Kingi also noted it would be prudent for World Vision to engage his team once it is established to see how they can work together on issues of health and education.
“The activities of World Vision in Kilifi cannnot go unnoticed, the work I have seen so far is good enough and I will be glad to have a meeting with World Vision once I establish my team so that we do not put resources where they are not required,” Kingi said.
World Vision Kenya Child Health Campaign Manager Mr Brezhnev Otieno and Programme Officer-Health Janet Shibonje said a partnership between the Kilifi County government and World Vision would significantly improve the provision of health services to the residents of the county.
Mr Otieno said World Vision was also ready to assist in capacity building of county assembly representatives in a bid to help them make informed decision on legislation touching on health, education and matters touching on wellbeing of the child.
World Vision also presented the governor with a proposal urging his government to allocate more funds to the health sector in line with the Abuja declaration, which requires that governments allocate at least 15 per cent of their budgets to the health sector. World Vision wants Kilifi County to allocate at least 12 per cent of its budget to the health sector.