Vihiga Chief Officer for Health Services, Dr. Mary Anyiendah, has received a delegation from the International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology (ICIPE), led by Dr Lynne Elson, ahead of the rollout of a major Tungiasis research project in Vihiga County.
The upcoming project aims to address Tungiasis, a severely neglected tropical disease caused by sand fleas (commonly known as jiggers), which disproportionately affects children and elderly individuals in resource-poor communities across Vihiga and Kenya at large.
Funded by the German Research Foundation (DFG), the three-year initiative (2025–2027) seeks to bridge critical knowledge gaps and generate robust scientific evidence to inform national and local health policies as well as future funding priorities.
Key objectives of the project include: Investigating environmental determinants influencing the spatial and temporal distribution of Tungiasis, assessing the impact of environmental stressors and exposure to insect growth regulators on the disease’s prevalence and intensity.
This collaborative effort is expected to deliver practical, evidence-based strategies to support the effective control and eventual eradication of Tungiasis in Vihiga County and beyond.
By Rose Wasike
