Malaria cases drop as Coronavirus tightens grip on Kenya

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The female Anopheles mosquito that causes Malaria. Pregnant women are among the most affetcted with malaria./COURTESY

As the world celebrates Malaria day globally, the country in the last decade has recorded fewer cases of the disease annually from 6 million to approximately 4.6 million confirmed cases.

According to health experts and policymakers, this is due to Malaria control efforts through major scale-up of long-lasting insecticide, treated net distribution, indoor residual spraying, and increased access to malaria testing and treatment among other Interventions.

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In a letter sent to newsrooms, President Uhuru Kenyatta chair of the African leader’s malaria Alliance joined the ministry of Health and the global community in marking world malaria day 2020, commemorated on 25 April every year.

According to the ministry of health, the interventions have seen a significant reduction of maternal and child mortality deaths as pregnant women and children are the most at risk of malaria.

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“Recent achievements in the scale-up of intervention has enabled 83 percent of households in the counties most affected by malaria to have at least one long-lasting insecticide-treated nets,” the statement reads in part.

Even as the country continues to address the COVID-19 pandemic at this time, the ministry has promised to continue ensuring continuity of malaria services across the country together with the county governments.

The theme for world malaria day this year was ‘ Zero Malaria starts with me’ which provides a common platform for partners to showcase successes in malaria control.

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