A group of women representing 2,000 women displaced by the floods in Magarini Sub-county has made a special request through Kilifi County Public Health officer to have the county government supply them with much-needed contraceptives.
In a report published by the Kenya News Agency, Amos Nthenge, a public health officer from the area had to abandon a public forum, after he was approached by a group of women seeking contraceptives for their camp on Wednesday, December 18, 2019.
The women who have been in the camps for two weeks decried congestion in the camps while most of their husbands were away.
"Since we have been staying here for more than two weeks without our husbands who are at the farms taking care of our assets and distant towns working, we have normal women desires and can easily be convinced by men in this place,'' one of the women is quoted in the publication.
They expressed the reality of the temptation that existed in the camps and thus were requesting the public health officer to assist them procure some condoms, in order to safeguard themselves against HIV/Aids as well as unwanted pregnancies.
Nthenge was forced to tour all the camps in the area and eventually procured the contraceptives from the Garashi Health Centre which were handed to area chief Chula Ndudhi.
The officer also distributed water purification tablets warning the displaced residents to guard against waterborne disease spread as well as report any symptoms promptly.
The health officer observed that the county government recognised the urgent need for immediate improvement in the supply of drugs and other health services in areas sustaining camps.
''The county government has realised the need for the immediate supply of drugs to this health centre to counter diseases like diarrhea and cholera. It is important to seek medication immediately one falls sick,” he urged.
The County Government of Kilifi has been working together with organizations such as Anglican Development Services, Kenya Red Cross and Action Aid, to help keep sustain the camps through donations of blankets, tents, food and drugs.
