Public Health PS Mary Muthoni has cautioned Kenyans to remain alert against waterborne diseases as heavy rains persist across the country.
Muthoni urged households to adopt strict hygiene measures, including boiling and chlorinating drinking water, warning that untreated water heightens the risk of infections such as cholera and typhoid during the rainy season.
She pointed to increased contamination driven by flooding and open defecation in some areas, stressing that rainwater and water from natural sources should not be considered safe without proper treatment.
The PS spoke in Gatundu South during a sensitisation forum for widows on their rights and access to healthcare, where she maintained that prevention remains the most effective safeguard against disease outbreaks linked to heavy rains.
Muthoni further said the government is expanding access to healthcare by enrolling more than one million widows into the Social Health Authority (SHA).
She added that the State will cover premiums for those unable to pay to ensure continuity of medical services.
The initiative, she said, targets vulnerable groups as part of efforts to advance universal health coverage.
Widows who attended the forum welcomed the programme, noting that the engagement had improved their understanding of their rights and access to care.
Officials from Come Together Widows Organisation, led by Diana Kamande, said many widows still face social and economic marginalisation, but commended the government for incorporating them into key healthcare programmes.
They also backed the Lipa Mdogo Mdogo SHA initiative, terming it a relief for financially constrained widows seeking access to quality healthcare.
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