MoH launches distribution of 15.7 million mosquito nets to 27 counties

The Ministry of Health on Sunday launched a campaign to distribute 15.7 million insecticide treated mosquito nets in 27 high malaria burden counties as the world marks World Malaria Day.

This year's theme is “Zero Malaria - Draw the Line Against Malaria.”

During a live event held at Afya House, Health CAS Rashid Aman said the campaign will kick off from April 30th to July 31st, 2021.

This campaign will cost 8 billion and will target 25 million Kenyans.

During the period of 2015 - 2020, there was increased ownership and use of bed nets by communities as well as improved availability and access to recommended malaria treatments.

The National Covid-19 task force for vaccine deployment chairman Willis Akhwale said counties should look forward to receiving the bed nets and the registration of beneficiaries has started.

Akhwale said that last year, 400,000 people died of malaria globally, with 90 % of the reported cases were from Africa.

"The number of cases and the number of deaths are not coming down as witnessed before. The biggest Malaria burden is in DRC and Nigeria," he said.

Aman said that since September 2019, more than 190,000 children in selected areas of Kenya have received at least one dose of the malaria vaccine through routine childhood vaccinations.

He said that it is only Kenya, Ghana and Malawi on the African continent that have deployed the first ever malaria vaccine.

"The phased introduction of the malaria vaccine in Kenya as well as the two other countries has reached a marked milestone with children now getting their fourth dose of the vaccine," the CAS said.