BY Agwanda Saye

Residents of Nyakach District within Kisumu County have embraced Community Led Total Sanitation (CLTS) which is aimed at the community deciding to take care of their own sanitation and have constructed pit latrines aimed at curbing numerous diarrhoeal ailments.

As a result, cases of diarrheal cases have been reduced from one thousand and eighty monthly to the current two hundred and thirty cases

The area District Public Health and Sanitation Director Anne Osero says as a result no cases of cholera has been reported within the area .

Speaking in Nyakach during the celebrations to mark the even, Osero added that there has been increased latrine coverage and use in the community and in schools as well as health facilities , improved hand washing facilities in homes, schools and health facilities ,training for one hundred and fifty school management committees as well as training nineteen health clubs.

“The most challenges we have witnessed includes the perennial water shortage affecting hand washing ,lack of trees for building materials especially reinforcement, dependence on subsidy, adverse climatic conditions –droughts and floods, understaffing of Public Health staff as well as peri-urban being difficult to manage”Osero added.

She further said that there is need for continuous health education, use of their locally available materials, improved technology in pit lining as well creation of technically qualified self help groups to construct cheaper and better latrines as well as partner-community collaboration.

Community Led Total Sanitation was started in October 2010 and five Public Health Officers were trained by UNICEF and has been conducted through house hold registration, triggering follow ups, verification by DPHO, third party verification and declaration of ODF status celebration.