In May 2024, MSF launched an emergency mobile response in Tana River County to contribute to the reduction of mortality and morbidity of people affected by the floods. This included providing primary healthcare including vaccination through outpost and mobile outreach clinics in 5 displaced persons camps and refer those requiring hospital care to higher level heath facilities. In addition, our teams paid specific attention to water and sanitation investments as well as mental health services and health promotion activities to displaced and host populations, to prevent as much as possible the onset of water-borne diseases.
Since the launch of its intervention in Tana River County in response to the consequences of the flooding, MSF teams conducted 7,155 medical consultations to internally displaced people and host communities, including 1,623 children under 5 years old. Moreover, our medical teams manage to provide sexual and reproductive health consultations to 390 pregnant and postnatal women. The health care workers treated people suffering from upper and lower respiratory infections, gastritis, patients presenting symptoms of diarrhoea. Moreover, MSF assisted people with chronic diseases in need for regular treatments, mainly hypertension, asthma and diabetes and carried out 1,309 mental health consultations.
MSF emergency response was informed by the healthcare needs of the people displaced by floods and settled in IDP camps following a needs assessment. Presently, some of the IDPs have since returned to their original homes and health conditions have improved. MSF ended the emergency response in Garsen on 3rd August.