The department of health is distributing 670,000 long lasting treated mosquito nets to the residents of Narok in a major campaign to free the county from Malaria epidemic.
Speaking to KNA, Narok County Aids and Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs) and Malaria Control Progammes Coordinator Dickson Kigwenai Nenkuseyo, said the county was among 27 counties which are malaria –prone that are targeted in the new malaria campaign courtesy of Afya Ugavi; a five-year health system strengthening activity funded by USAID under the Global Health Supply Chain.
He revealed that Narok County recorded 15,807 cases of malaria in 2020 translating to a prevalence of over 10 per cent.
Kigwenai said malaria is the fifth killer disease in the county after diarrhea and pneumonia among others and called on all stakeholders to work together in combating the killer disease.
Some of the areas most affected by malaria in the county include Ongata Barakoi, Marura, Nkararu and Lolgorian areas in Transmara West Sub County.
“These areas report malaria cases of up to 30 per cent each year which is quite high,” he said.
Kigwenai revealed that since January to April this year, close to 5,000 cases of Malaria have been confirmed in the county.
He attributed the increase in Malaria cases in the above-mentioned areas to the proximity of the said zones to the areas in upper Nyanza such as Migori County and highlands such as Kisii where malaria is endemic.
The coordinator said community health workers and volunteers will be trained next month in readiness for the net distribution exercise which will kick off in June.
The registration of households to benefit from this distribution is already ongoing where one long lasting treated mosquito net will be given for every two members of the household.
“We are targeting the entire populations because of the increase in malaria cases in the county,” Kigwenai said.
He said the aim of supplying the long lasting treated nets is to reduce malaria infections in the country and in the long run promote a malaria free society.
The nets have been treated with a chemical that remains active for many years and does not lose its strength even when the net is washed.
Data from the Ministry Of Health show 20,000 people have died in the country in the last one year due to malaria related complications as millions of others got infected.
There is however some light at the end of the tunnel as a malaria vaccine has been developed at Oxford University in Britain and has been found to be over 70 per cent effective.
By Mabel Keya Shikuku
