HEALTH ACTION DAY

Introduction:

            Jiggers are seasonal especially when mangoes and cashew nut trees start flowering. These sand fleas are like larvae of certain insects that feed on the nectar of the mentioned flowers. At this stage they are parasitic and skip to the ground staying in the soil seeding hosts. Victims are bitten and the flea pierces and enters the blood stream where it feeds and lays nits in the blood. At this stage the victim feels itchy and if left within them spreads throughout the blood, sometimes being fatal.

            Many children at the Centre especially in our Madrasa, Primary school and Pre Primary school are victims of this infestation. To date when parents find about their children infection they subject them to torture in order to flash out the flea and nits. They pierce or slit at spots where the victims are bitten and try to flash out. By doing this many children’s hands and feet have been damaged to an extent that some limp as they walk.

            Due to distantly placed Health facilities in this area, and with high illiteracy levels, poverty and social cultural beliefs, and cost of treatment for the jigger infestations has led to the large numbers of people affected especially the school going children who walk for long distances.

Following this Bilal Muslim Mission of Kenya in conjunction with Ministry of Health, Kwale District, organized a two day Health Action Day for the Anti – Jigger Campaign infestation. The campaign targeting children of Burani and Bahakanda villages was held at the Madrasa in Burani on the 8th and 9th of December 2007. 

Commencement:

The function started on Saturday the 8th December 2007, by Dua recitation by Maalim Mwachitsami, BMMK teacher, Mr. Kengia introduced the officers to the audience. The Divisional Public Health Officer, Mr. Said Mdune mobilized the audience that they should pass the information of jigger campaign to others so that they may come. He also alerted the audience that jiggers may cause low performance by children at school.  

Thereafter, the District Medical Officer, Dr. Z. Bagha inaugurated the campaign. In his speech, he pointed out that:

-     Jigger cases should be reported to the nearby dispensaries as up to then there was no single case reported.

-     Jiggers are ‘a problem’ and therefore should not be neglected.

The actual exercise then began. It involved six stages namely:-

-      Screening of the infected patients.

-      Registration of the patients.

-      Dipping the feet / hands in to the prepared solution.

-      Extraction.

-      Dressing and

-      Tetanus toxoid injection where necessary. 

In addition to the above intervention, the facilities at the centre, neighbouring areas and residences were sprayed.

Statistics:

     Gender              62.0% of patients were male.

                               43.4% of patients were male above 5 yrs. (Most affected).

     Age                   15.2% were male below 5 yrs. (Most affected).

                               11.7% were female below 5 yrs. (least affected).

     Residence         83.4% from Burani (Most affected).

NB:

-           50 Patients were injected for TT.

-           19 Households and facilities at the centre were sprayed.

The spraying exercise of the residences is to be continued during the week.

 

Comments:

a)         By Medical Personnel

         -   Have series of anti jiggers’ camps at frequency of 1 every month to be held during school days.

         -   Keep it up Bilal.
 

b)        By BMMK representative (Haji Juma).

          -  Integrate services during health camps.

          -  Try doing it in other affected centers of the District.

          -  Good Project.

 

The Campaign ended on Sunday the 9th December 2007 at 3.00 pm.