Homes where unclean energy is used for cooking, account for over 75 per cent of respiratory disease burden, affecting children under the age of 5 years in Siaya County.

This is according to a recent survey conducted by Chronic Disease Society (CDS) Africa. CDS Africa chairperson Faith Okwayo, who spoke to the media at a medical camp organised by the Energy and Petroleum Regulatory Authority (EPRA) in Siaya town, said the county was a top burden area in respiratory illnesses in the country because of widespread use of unclean energy across homesteads.

Okwayo revealed that as a result of the heavy respiratory illness burden in the region, CDS Africa partnered with EPRA and the county government of Siaya to undertake a specialised medical camp targeting respiratory illnesses.

“This is a two day specialised medical camp organised by EPRA and we will be targeting between two to three thousand patients with free services ranging from screening, diagnosis and treatment,” she disclosed.

The chairperson added that screening for specialised critical chronic diseases like asthma, lung cancer and pulmonary illnesses will be supported by a team of pulmonologists, who will be giving services at the event.

EPRA Director General Joseph Okech said the initiative is part of the organisation’s corporate social responsibility in line with the government’s agenda of promoting access to universal health.

Okech said that some of the health problems in Siaya County emanate from cooking with firewood and charcoal, whose fumes cause respiratory illnesses. He underscored the need for the region and the entire country to transition to clean cooking technologies to combat respiratory illnesses.

“During the two day medical camp, we will be having our partner GIZ showcasing the clean energy cooking technologies to be embraced by locals to curb rising cases of respiratory diseases,” he said.

Siaya county Chief Nursing Officer Geoffrey Otieno observed that previous medical camps undertaken in the region only targeted general illnesses. Otieno said that due to the rise in respiratory illnesses affecting children and women, the county government did a request to EPRA for a specialised medical camp on respiratory diseases.

He asked members of the public to take advantage of the free X-ray, ultra sound, laboratory services and well as drugs to benefit from the unrestricted specialised treatment.

• A Tell Media / KNA report KNA by Brian Ondeng’