•A baseline survey conducted in the country August 2023 together with intensified entomological surveillance detected the mosquito in Turkana, Mandera and Samburu
•Key measures include implementing of comprehensive social behaviour change (SBC) strategies to sensitize the local communities
Image: FILE
The Ministry of Health has intensified its surveillance activities in an effort to halt the spread of Anopheles stephensi in the country.
Anopheles stephensi is an invasive mosquito species first reported in Marsabit county in December 2022.
Health Cabinet Secretary Susan Nakhumicha on Thursday told MPs that Anopheles stephensi can persist during dry periods when other vectors may not.
This makes it crucial to conduct ongoing monitoring of malaria case data for upsurges in urban areas, especially during dry periods in high-risk countries.
The CS said the monitoring aims to capture any shifts in the malaria trend.
To prevent further spread of the invasive mosquito, the Ministry of Health has been conducting rigorous monitoring of malaria trends in urban and peri-urban areas, especially in high-risk countries.
This is to promptly detect and address potential risks associated with the mosquito.
Nakhumicha further noted that varying strategies may be required in regions with high and low malaria burdens adding that the influence of Anopheles stephensi might be less conspicuous in high-burden settings.
"In areas with low malaria burden, monitoring health centre data in urban and adjacent regions could uncover rises in malaria cases attributed to the vector," Nakhumicha said.
Conversely, in settings with high malaria burden, a combination of epidemiological and larval surveillance may be essential to discern the effects of Anopheles stephensi.
Key measures include implementing comprehensive social behaviour change (SBC) strategies to sensitise the local communities in Marsabit County and raise awareness of preventive measures against the invasive mosquito species.
These strategies include community engagement, tailored messaging, health education, training of community health workers, use of media channels and continuous monitoring and evaluation of the interventions
Nakhumicha disclosed that a baseline survey conducted in the country August 2023 together with intensified surveillance detected the mosquito in Turkana, Mandera and Samburu.
According to the data by the ministry, Marsabit reported 3,329 confirmed malaria cases in the last 12 months, with a relatively low malaria incidence of 5.7 cases per 1,000 population.
In January 2024, a total of 434 confirmed malaria cases were reported in the county.
“Over the last few decades, there has been a reduction in the burden of malaria across Kenya,” Nakhumicha said.
“This new mosquito species poses a significant public health threat and could reverse the gains made in the fight against malaria,” she said.
Unlike other vectors, Anopheles stephensi is unique as it thrives in man-made containers and breeding habitats in polluted settings both in urban and rural settings.
Nakhumicha acknowledged that the presence of Anopheles stephensi in urban and peri-urban areas may pose a serious threat to malaria transmission in areas that have been malaria-free.