Insta Products Epz Donate Ready To Use Therapeutic Food To Combat Severe Drought In Marsabit
Insta Products EPZ Limited, in partnership with the Ministry of Health Nutrition and Dietetics Unit and UNICEF have teamed up with KEMSA to distribute Ready to Use Therapeutic Food (RUTF)to counties faced with high incidences of malnutrion.
Insta donated 200 cartons of RUTF worth Ksh 2.6 Million that will target 84,000 severely malnourished cases this year in Marsabit County.
During the flag off, KEMSA Ag. CEO Mr. Philip Omondi said this is a service that is much needed by the people and a timely one indeed. “We are pleased to keep to our mandate of ensuring availability of nutrition commodities to all.
“This donation of 200 cartons of RUTF by Insta will go a great mile in mitigating malnutrition in affected Counties as a result of the prolonged drought.
KEMSA will centrally provide adequate safe and secure storage and distribution for all nutrition commodities agreed with MoH and partners.
Mr. Omondi said the strategic partnership between UNICEF and KEMSA has demonstrated shared goals and objectives with regard to the need for stronger ties to support the newly devolved 47 county governments.
“We are happy to collaborate with Insta and UNICEF to ensure that the health of those affected by the drought is not compromised,” he noted.
In November 2015, KEMSA, Government of Japan, and UNICEF flagged off Ready To Use Therapeutic Foods worth Sh515 Million (USD 5 Million) to combat malnutrition in Turkana and Laikipia.
Subsequently in August 2016 KEMSA and UNICEFset aside an additional Sh300 million to boost nutritional, essential drugs and other medical commodities that was escalated to all the 47 counties.
UNICEF Chief of Nutrition, Ms. Grainne Moloney said the situation in Kenya is getting worse and support from private and public partners is highly recommended.
“We are proud of the partnership we have had in many years with KEMSA and believe it will go a long way for the benefit of the vulnerable Kenyans who need the food and we will continue to give more, said Ms. Moloney.
At the same time Insta CEO Mr. Dhiren Chandaria commended KEMSA for a remarkable job of ensuring availability of nutrition supply and promises to continue with the support when need arises.
KEMSA has collaborated with various development partners to integrate parallel supply chain systems into one sustainable national supply chain system managed by KEMSA.
The success of the integration of nutrition supply chains shall encourage various partners using parallel supply chain systems to leverage similar principles and solutions to improve other healthcare commodity supply chains in the country.