Vihiga: 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 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 the broader region of Kenya.
According to Kenya News Agency, the project, funded by the German Research Foundation (DFG), is set to run from 2025 to 2027. The initiative 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 and 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.