UNICEF Steps Up Malnutrition Screening for Children in Northern Kenya
Kakuma, 9 September 2026
In September 2026, UNICEF expanded life-saving malnutrition screenings in Turkana County, Kenya, using simple arm-measuring tapes to identify and treat thousands of vulnerable children with therapeutic peanut paste.
How the Screening and Treatment Programme Works
In Turkana County, Northwest Kenya, an estimated 100,000 children are currently suffering from wasting, which is a severe and life-threatening form of malnutrition [1]. To combat this crisis, UNICEF Kenya is actively ramping up its screening and treatment services throughout September 2026, specifically targeting vulnerable communities, including those in the Kakuma and Kalobeyei refugee camps [GPT]. The screening process relies on a simple, colour-coded tool known as a Mid-Upper Arm Circumference (MUAC) tape [1]. Community Health Promoters distribute these bands to pastoralist caregivers, enabling them to easily measure their children’s nutritional status at home without the need for complex weighing scales [1].
Step-by-Step Guide to Accessing Services
The MUAC tape is designed for quick and intuitive use, featuring colour zones that indicate a child’s health status [1]. For instance, a yellow-coded band warns caregivers of moderate acute malnutrition, prompting early intervention before the condition deteriorates [1]. When a child is identified with severe acute malnutrition, they are enrolled in a treatment programme that provides Ready-to-Use Therapeutic Food (RUTF), a highly nutritious peanut-based paste [1]. This life-saving paste is distributed during weekly clinic visits, allowing parents to manage their child’s recovery directly from their homes [1].
Eligibility and How to Enrol
To access these free services, families in Turkana County, including the Kakuma and Kalobeyei areas, should engage with local Community Health Promoters who conduct routine outreach visits in the villages [1]. These promoters provide the MUAC tapes and demonstrate how to wrap them around a child’s upper arm to check their nutritional health [1]. If the tape indicates malnutrition, the caregiver must bring the child to the nearest UNICEF-supported health outreach clinic or community health post [1].
Overcoming Regional Challenges and Climate Shocks
The eligibility criteria focus on children under the age of five who show signs of wasting or acute malnutrition [1]. During the weekly clinic visits, healthcare workers monitor the child’s progress, provide the necessary weekly ration of therapeutic peanut paste, and offer nutritional guidance to the parents [1][2]. There is no official deadline to register for this ongoing screening and treatment support, as community health teams operate continuous surveillance to ensure no child is left behind in the face of ongoing environmental and economic hardships [1].
Supporting Long-Term Recovery
The necessity of this programme is heightened by the severe environmental and economic pressures facing Turkana’s pastoralist communities [1]. Below-average rainfall and recurring droughts force male heads of households to migrate with livestock for up to six months in search of pasture and water [1]. This leaves mothers to manage households alone, often relying on restricted diets of milk mixed with goat’s blood, tea, or maize meal (ugali) [1]. By bringing MUAC screening directly to households and decentralising treatment through weekly community visits, UNICEF and local health teams are successfully bypassing these geographic barriers, helping mothers secure their children’s health and plan for more stable livelihoods [1].