NAROK, Kenya – British Deputy High Commissioner and Development Director, Leigh Stubblefield, has visited Suswa-Narok County to see first-hand the impact of UK-funded efforts to end Female Genital Mutilation (FGM).
Leigh’s visit came on a day that Kenya joined the rest of the globe in marking the International Day of Zero Tolerance for FGM.
At Nairegie Ekare Hospital, the British High Commission team witnessed how the UK government funding through The Girl Generation Programme and Narok County has integrated FGM prevention and care services into routine clinical services.
The team also met medical students from Egerton University trained through the Africa Coordination Centre for Abandonment of Female Genital Mutilation (ACCAF) curriculum under The Girl Generation Programme and are benefiting from the UK-funded skills lab equipment, apprenticeships from trained staff, and hands-on experience.
Given the cultural context, they are now more knowledgeable and confident in speaking about the dangers of FGM in addition to providing improved physical and mental care for the well-being of girls and women.
“FGM is one of the most extreme manifestations of gender-based violence. FGM is a human rights violation that can result in a lifetime of physical, psychological, and emotional suffering,” Leigh said during the visit.
How ACCAF developed a standardised curriculum to train medical students
She also said that there are emerging challenges, such as the growing medicalisation of FGM, which is when FGM is undertaken by healthcare providers.
“I am pleased to see the medical personnel at Nairegie Ekare Hospital actively raising awareness against this trend, which remains unsafe and a grave violation of the rights of women and girls. There is no medical justification for FGM, and the UK remains committed to ending FGM today and every day,” Leigh explained.
Prof. Samuel Kimani, a health expert and Associate Professor at ACCAF, disclosed that they noticed there was no standardised curriculum used to train medical students, as well as no facility that provides skills to prevent and respond to FGM.
“As a result, we engaged the health professionals and bodies to develop a curriculum, which has so far been used to train 209 lecturers. The lecturers have trained 3,152 health students from universities and mid-level colleges, as well as 30 healthcare workers and 18 community health promoters,” said Prof. Kimani.
Prof. Kimani reiterated that at ACCAF, they are proud to say that they are creating the largest movement of health professionals who have been trained in FGM prevention and response using a standardised curriculum in Africa.
Why integrating FGM into maternal health education is a game-changer
The Medical Superintendent for Nairegie Ekare Hospital, Dr. Siyadi Suleiman, said from where he sits, he considers this a game-changer advancement for their healthcare system.
“Integrating FGM into maternal health education at our service delivery points has significantly increased community awareness. Consequently, we have observed a positive change in health-seeking behaviours—more women are now opting for skilled medical care during childbirth compared to the past,” Dr. Siyadi said.
According to the medic, this progress marks a critical step toward safer maternal and neonatal outcomes and good progress in ending FGM efforts.
ACCAF established Nairegie Ekare Level IV Hospital, and it is part of the UK-funded The Girl Generation Consortium.
They have trained a total of 30 healthcare workers and 18 community health promoters from Narok County who are cascading the knowledge further in the communities.
The British High Commission team also interacted with anti-FGM school clubs at St Anthony’s Girls’ and Boys’ High School.
The clubs supported through the UK’s partnership with AMREF run initiatives like skits and art sessions in the school and the wider community to raise awareness of the risks of FGM.
The clubs have empowered boys and girls in the area to say no to FGM and challenge the entrenched social norms that perpetuate GBV.
