Kenya is set to distribute 10 million mosquito nets as the Ministry of Health steps up efforts to cut malaria cases and deaths, amid renewed calls for sustained public awareness ahead of World Malaria Day. 

Medical officials announced on Thursday during a pre-World Malaria Day media breakfast briefing, citing steady progress in reducing the disease burden. 

Principal Secretary for Public Health and Professional Standards Mary Muthoni said malaria remains a major public health challenge, noting that 4.2 million malaria cases were recorded in 2024 and that 75 per cent of the population is at risk. She said malaria accounts for about 18 per cent of patients who visit health facilities, with pregnant women and children under five among the most vulnerable. 

PS Muthoni said Kenya recorded a five per cent decline in incidence between 2023 and 2025, and that malaria mortality fell by 32 per cent during the previous strategy cycle. She added that Kirinyaga and Nyeri counties are targeted for total elimination, and that Kirinyaga will host this year’s national commemoration of World Malaria Day. 

Speaking on treatment, Dr Edwin Onyango, of Kenya’s National Malaria Control Programme, said the country is rolling out a multiple first-line therapy (MFT) approach in response to the risk of drug resistance, noting that artemisinin-based combination therapy (ACT) remains effective. He said the rollout will begin in Baringo, Busia, Kakamega and Siaya, before expanding to other counties. He also warned that resistance can be accelerated by poor-quality medicines, incomplete treatment and incorrect dosing. 

On seasonal malaria chemoprevention, Dr Edwin Mbugua, lead for Health, Nutrition, and Social Services at Catholic Relief Services, said that 82,000 children were reached in Turkana Central and Kakuma during the recent campaign. He noted that the area has a much higher prevalence of about 39 per cent compared to the national average. 

Dr Mbugua said about 65 per cent of cases occur between June and October, and that the next phase targets 135,000 children up to 10 years old in Kakuma and Kalobeyei, with drugs provided through United States government support. The ministry also used the briefing to launch several policy and technical tools to strengthen the response, including updated guidelines for malaria diagnosis and treatment, biosafety protocols for community-level rapid diagnostic testing, a clinical mentorship toolkit, an implementation framework for malaria Rapid Diagnostic Tests (RDTs) and an online entomological surveillance database. 

(Source: Citizen)