• The aim is to provide widespread access to insecticide-treated bed nets.
• Beneficiaries are required to produce their identity cards for their details to get captured before they receive the nets.
Image: FILE
The Ministry of Health is conducting household registration in six counties in readiness for a mass net distribution exercise.
The initiative is targeting communities at risk of mosquito-borne diseases in Kisumu, Siaya, Migori, Mombasa, Kwale, and Taita Taveta counties.
The aim is to provide widespread access to insecticide-treated bed nets.
The ministry in a statement on Tuesday said the household registration for the mass net distribution programme signals progress in malaria prevention efforts.
"To reduce malaria transmission rates and improve health outcomes, this effort signifies a crucial step forward in combating malaria in these regions," the ministry said.
"Health authorities are ramping up preparations to ensure thorough registration, focusing on maximizing participation in the upcoming distribution," it noted.
The ministry switched to digital registration of households to ensure transparency and accountability in the distribution exercise.
PS Public Health Mary Muthoni said they have also prioritised innovative approaches to ensure secure transportation and storage under the Kenya Medical Supplies Authority (Kemsa).
Through the digital platform DigiMalKE, the ministry will ensure accurate allocation of the number of nets based on the population.
"The introduction of DigimalKE, a digital platform, underscores our commitment to accuracy and transparency in household registration and participant payments," she said.
This end-to-end digital process seeks to prevent leakage and loss of the nets.
Beneficiaries are required to produce their identity cards for their details to get captured before they receive the nets.
According to the ministry, the distribution of long-treated mosquito nets to communities has already made a significant impact in the fight against malaria.
Kenya is making strides in the fight against malaria due to the government's concerted efforts to combat the disease.
The efforts by the ministry and partners have contributed to a reduction in the malaria burden from eight per cent in 2015 to six per cent in 2020.
Despite the progress, malaria remains a significant health burden in Kenya, causing an estimated 4.4 million cases and 12,000 deaths in 2019.
The 2022 Kenya Demographic and Health Survey (2022 KDHS) pointed out various reasons why Kenyans don't use mosquito nets when they go to bed despite the dangers of getting infected with malaria.
Currently, malaria is the most lethal mosquito-transmitted disease.
Insecticide-treated nets serve a dual function by acting as a physical barrier between the mosquito vector and humans, and exposing the mosquito to a lethal dose of insecticide when it lands on the net.