On the 1st and 3rd March 2023 Ministry of Health, Ministry of Education, and JICA-NUITM marked the National jiggers’ day in the two sub-counties of Suba-south and Ndhiwa Respectively.
The Stakeholders had a discussion and concluded the most endemic Community units would host the event at the local primary school to conduct awareness creation and treatment for the patients.
The two events were successful 558 participants from Nyabomo Primary School in Suba south and 865 from Ligodho Primary School in Ndhiwa.
Objective
- The event’s major aim was to create awareness of jiggers, Behavior Change, and Capacity
building on the causes, diagnosis, and treatment of jiggers.
- The campaign targeted the most endemic community unit after analyzing the monthly reports
Activities
The Major activities included;
- Diagnosis
This was done by the Ministry of Health Community Health Volunteers (CHVs) with the help
For the JICA-NUITM team, this involved inspection of patients’ feet to ascertain the presence
of jiggers.
- Treatment
The treatment was also done by MOH and JICA-NUITM as follows.
Wash the patient’s feet or affected area thoroughly with clean water and soap, add 5 liters of
clean water to a clean basin, add half a teaspoon of potassium permanganate then soak feet
for 15-20 minutes then apply petroleum jelly to the feet. (Use of locally available jelly was
promoted e.g Ng’ombe, Harimis)
The patients were encouraged to also use sodium carbonate (Magadi)which is readily
available.
250gms of sodium carbonate into warm water and soak for 15-20 minutes followed by
application of petroleum jelly.
The application of coconut oil was also promoted for it acts as both a repellant and oil care.
Health promotion and positive behavior change targeting personal and environmental hygiene
was majorly discussed by all stakeholders
Severe cases are to be referred to the nearby health facility for professional treatment by
hospital personnel. (count of ten fleas and above)
Only the victims were given rubber shoes to protect their feet from re-infestation.
Note
Seven (7) Patients were treated and given rubber shoes.
Video showing
MOH and JICA-NUITM came up with an educational video on jiggers that was shown to parents and
Pupils in both Primary Schools
Entertainment and speeches
Both the CHV and Pupils of the hosting school presented poems, songs, and skits which were
Very educative on jiggers.
The stakeholders shared educative messages on the jigger’s menace and the importance of the
Project to ensure its sustainability.
SARAYA Kenya
This is an International Organization that provides all solutions in sanitation and Health
through the production of hand soap detergents, hand sanitizers, and provision of rubber
shoes to the patients.
Healthy Entrepreneurs
This is an organization that provides basic healthcare drugs and trained CHVs to sell and educate their customers from their mini–pharmacies.
Through these initiatives, isolated villages can be transformed into strong healthy informed communities.
Healthy Entrepreneurs also managed to update their existing platforms on CHVs smartphones to be able to access educational videos on jiggers.