• North Rift counties only get transmission after the long and short rains as they are highlands.
• Some 307,000 nets were distributed to the North Rift counties under the routine distribution campaign last year.
Image: FILE
Areas around the lake region have the highest prevalence of malaria at 27 per cent, a report by the Ministry of Health shows.
The report shows counties in the North Rift have a malaria prevalence of three per cent.
This is because North Rift counties are predominantly highland thus these areas only have transmission after the long and short rains.
The report puts the overall country's prevalence at eight per cent.
The report rates Turkana as a seasonal transmission area with a prevalence of one per cent, only occurring after a downpour.
Health PS Susan Mochache says key interventions include the provision of long-lasting insecticide-treatedl nets, intermittent preventive treatment for pregnant women, prompt diagnosis and effective treatment of all malaria cases.
Others are indoor residual spraying to mitigate against a developing epidemic based on surveillance of data, treatment and diagnosis, epidemic and response, surveillance and social behaviour change.
“Due to different transmission patterns, not all areas have the same intervention package. For North Rift counties, the interventions available are the distribution of mosquito nets through routine and mass distribution campaigns,” Mochache said.
She added, “Turkana county receives all these interventions except for routine net distribution and receives mass net distribution in Loima subcounty only because it is a hot spot."
More than 307,000 nets were distributed to the North Rift counties under the routine distribution campaign last year.
These were distributed to pregnant women and children under one year in maternal child health clinics.
Uasin Gishu county received the highest number (68,430) nets followed by Trans Nzoia with 54,900. West Pokot received 51,720, Kericho 38,800 and Bomet 36,760.
Baringo, Nandi and Elgeyo Marakwet received 32,320, 31,260 and 28,040 nets, respectively.
Under the mass net distribution, 3,644,151 nets were distributed in the North Rift counties in 2017.
“This is done every three years and the next distribution is due in 2020,” the PS said.
Uasin Gishu received 665,700 nets, followed by Trans Nzoia which received 652,965. Nandi received 566,979 while Kericho received 557,213 nets.
Bomet, West Pokot, Baringo and Turkana counties received 552,303; 350,762; 193,852 and 104,377 nets, respectively.