Medics decry knowledge gap between health and climate change

Over 1, 200 patients have benefited from free medical treatment in Kitengela, Kajiado County.

They included children, women, youth and the elderly who turned up in the three-day exercise held at Full Gospel Church Kitengela's Kyang'ombe Estate between Friday and Sunday.

The exercise was sponsored by several civil society organizations including Najimudu Empowerment Initiative (NGO), Green Health Focus, Climate Health Advisory and Africa Gem Trust alongside the County Government of Kajiado and Daystar University (School of Nursing).

The organization's leadership said they resorted to the synergy to pull resources and expertise to make the free medical camp successful.

Speaking to the Star on Sunday, the experts decried the knowledge gap between health and climate change.

"We have been here for three days conducting a unique medical camp focusing on the annexes between health and climate change. We have been able to see 1, 200 patients," Dave Ojijo said.

The camp targeted at least 1, 500 patients in the three days.

Ojijo is the founder of both Green Health Focus and Climate Health Advisory NGOs.

He works with the Kenya Medical Practitioners Pharmacists Dentists Union and doubles as Kenya Medical Association Planetary Health Committee chair.

Ojijo said over 70 per cent of the patients seen had respiratory problems with the most common ones being cases of upper respiratory tract infections commonly known as Pneumonia.

"We also had a few cases of people with chronic illnesses like hypertension, diabetes and kidney diseases," Ojijo said.

"So, from the medical camp, we discovered that there's a community knowledge gap between health and climate change. People don't understand how their planetary health and environment are interwoven," Ojijo said.

Ojijo said they sensitized the community especially patients who turned up for the medication on the same.

He said over 30 healthcare providers participated in the exercise.

They included doctors, clinical officers, nurses, pharmacists, nutritionists and public health officers.

Ojijo said Kitengela is known to be a hubbub of air pollution.

"When we talk about health and climate change, one of the major issues that come out is how we can have social determinants like clean and safe air for people in our communities," Ojijo said.

"You will find that when the air is polluted, respiratory conditions like asthma, Pneumonia and chronic pulmonary diseases are accelerated."

He said the camp was also meant to make residents understand the importance of health-seeking behavior.

"We have noticed that some patients don't seek health care. From our engagements with them for the three days, we have discovered that some people have underlying diseases that they didn't know about and we have just been able to make the coincidental diagnosis," he said.

Najimudu Empowerment Initiative director Michael Mungoma said the medical camp was successful.

"We have so far been able to see over 1, 200 patients who included men, women and children and provided free medical consultations as well as medicines to them," Mungoma said.

Mungoma said among issues on which the locals were sensitized by the experts during the camp were; health and climate change and nutrition.

"We are aware that climate change is an important aspect when it comes to human survival. With rising temperatures, we are seeing new conditions and disorders," Mungoma said.

He said they also had talks on the effects of El Nino and drought.

"These have impacts on the general health of the people both physical and mental. We know that climate change has direct effects on mental health," Mungoma said.

Mungoma said as an organization, they were keen on ensuring that communities especially those in vulnerable areas can access health care, and information, and are empowered and included in everything that is happening in their neighborhoods.

He said the cost of health care needs to be addressed due to high costs of living.

"When organizations come together and they have different strengths, focus areas like the ones we have brought together, there is greater impacts," Mungoma said.