Wajir County has deployed a specialized health team to Eldas and Wajir West for a 10-day fumigation and spraying exercise aimed at curbing the spread of kala-azar, a deadly disease that has so far claimed nine lives and infected over 500 people since September last year.
The county's health department has identified 6,000 households in the worst-hit areas, where efforts are being intensified to eliminate sandflies, the primary carriers of the disease causing micro-organism. "We aim to reach at least 6,000 households in this intervention.
The outbreak has been worsened by recent floods, which created conditions ideal for sandflies to breed," said Mohamed Hassan Maalim, the County Director for Public Health.
Health officials have urged residents to take preventive measures and seek immediate medical attention if they experience symptoms of the disease.
