Timely diagnosis is critical in healthcare

Ann Senga (not her real name), an 18 year-old from Turkana County has been feeling unusually tired during the day and has had low-grade fevers, night sweats and a recent swelling in her neck.

Her household chores, like fetching water from the nearby stream that she usually finds effortless, now leaves her dizzy and unstable. Her mother first takes her to a renowned traditional healer in the community, who prescribes a mixture of herbs to cure the ailments. She dutifully takes the herbs but sees no improvement. Her next stop is the nearby health centre, where she’s given antimalarial drugs and multivitamins.