KEMRI research reveals Homa Bay county with highest number of likely child deaths

Reason children in this county are likely to die frequently

Mark Mwithaga

April 25, 2019 10:52 AM

Children likely not to survive

Medics treating a child at a hospital

A report released indicated that children born in Homa Bay County are likely to die frequently before attaining the age of five years.

The research made by Kenya Medical Research Institute (Kemri) revealed that the county had the highest infant under five mortality due to having a high case of HIV and Malaria transmissions.

Kenya Medical Research Institute (KEMRI) head office in Nairobi, Kenya. (Facebook). Pulse Live Kenya

Peter Macharia, Pamela Thaurania and Emelda who are the people to have done the research further explained that the Western region as a whole has very many cases of inability of children to survive.

According to Okiro, Nyeri and Nairobi counties still had high cases compared to other counties.

In 2017, it was claimed that 5.4 million children passed on before they celebrated their fifth birthday.

“By 2013, high mortality counties relative to the national average, continued to persist around Lake Victoria and Tana River,” remarked Okiro.

Lack of Immunisation in West Pokot

In a similar case, West Pokot Health CEC Geoffrey Lipale, revealed that the infant mortality rate had increased in the county due to a lack of immunisation.

He added that shortage of nurses, illiteracy and far distance to health facilities had also contributed to the problem being experienced.