KENYA: Association of Catholic Nuns Launches Six-Months Awareness Campaign, Aims for “Covid-19 Free Nation”
Sr. Jecinter Antoinette Okoth, FSSA
As the government of Kenya and various actors strive to implement different strategies in response to Covid-19 pandemic that has affected nearly all households in the country, the Association of Sisterhoods in Kenya (AOSK) has launched a six-months Covid-19 prevention and vaccine awareness campaign with the intent to complement the work of the government to realize a “Covid-19 free nation.”
In a press release shared with AMECEA online Tuesday, August 3, the AOSK Executive Secretary Sr. Pasilisa Namikoye noted that the association “applauds the Ministry of Health’s efforts in Covid-19 response and recognizes that a successful war against the pandemic requires both public and private sector’s support in advocacy on the Covid-19 vaccine uptake, provision of essential medical supplies, provision of protective gears and behavior change communication.”
Sr. Namikoye a member of the Little Sisters of St. Francis (LSOSF) disclosed that “Catholic Sisters have always worked to improve and increase accessibility of basic healthcare to the most vulnerable in the communities,” adding that, “We would like to utilize our vast distribution across the country, direct engagement in the health sector and proximity to the masses to disseminate Covid-19 information to communities we serve and encourage vaccine uptake.’’
The campaign that will run for a period of six months until December 2021, aims to conduct online trainings to build capacity of front line health workers including doctors, nurses, lab and pharm technicians on Covid-19 prevention, control and home based care, Covid-19 vaccine and administration and psycho-spiritual support forums to workers and those affected by the pandemic.
The association intends to further facilitate 80 Sister-run health facilities spread across the country to carry out community outreach programs on Covid-19 campaigns, procure Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) kits, Covid-19 test kits, latex gloves, surgical masks, face shields, thermo guns, refilling oxygen cylinders and pulse oximeter.
According to AOSK leadership, through various interventions the project will benefit approximately 1,500 front line health workers including Catholic sisters and about five million community members.
The campaign funded by Hilton Foundation, a non-profit charitable foundation that invests in various programs including offering support to organizations and congregations of Catholic Sisters in Africa and United States will ensure that “nuns are empowered with information about Covid-19 and vaccines to disseminate to communities where they serve and the communities are encouraged to embrace Covid-19 preventive measures, get vaccinated, and the sister-run facilities have improved equipment and medical supplies.”
The Sisters-run health facilities in nearly all the 25 dioceses in Kenya, are majorly for levels one and two which mostly take care of the poor and vulnerable giving the Sisters the “advantage of reaching the masses with Covid-19 preventive and vaccination messages.”
In their Tuesday communique, the AOSK leadership narrates that the Catholic Sisters are part of the network of Catholic health facilities in Kenya that, currently comprise “65 hospitals, 90 health centers, and 300 Dispensaries with an approximate total of 5837 healthcare providers, of which over 300 are sisters-run while the rest are diocesan/parish run,” adding that the launched project will therefore “complement the work of the Government in Covid-19 response.”
“AOSK health networks are under the Catholic Health Commission of the Kenya Conference of Catholic Bishops (KCCB), and collaborates with the Ministry of Health to achieve the Government goal of “attaining equitable, affordable, accessible and quality health care for all,” Concludes the statement.
