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Minister Sounds Alert On Malaria

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Published on Tuesday, 03 July 2007 04:45
A malaria alert has been sounded in the greater Kisii region and highland districts west of the Rift Valley.Public Health Minister Sam Ongeri, who read a ministerial statement, said 6,879 cases of malaria had so far been reported in the region, with 4,468 admissions since last month.

The minister said the price of mosquito nets had been reduced from Sh800 to Sh200 to enable more Kenyans to acquire them. He attributed the increase in malaria to the recent heavy rains in the region.He said 164 people had died from the attack, which was nearing endemic levels.

The minister said the Ministry of Health had taken measures to contain the spread by ensuring adequate supplies of anti malarial in all health facilities in the country, and providing adequate information to community members on preventive protection measures like the use of treated insecticide nets.A technical support team from ministry headquarters had also been dispatched to bolster control operations in the affected districts, he addedIn addition, the government had applied for Sh 700 million from the Global Fund for Health to deal

Mr John Sambu (Mosop, Kanu ) said since the beginning of the year, there had been shortage of malaria drugs in all health centres in his constituency.He said the Moi Refferal Hospital in Eldoret, a public hospital, was charging more for treating patients than private hospitals.

Mr Gitobu Imanyara (Imenti Central, Ford Kenya) demanded to know what measures the government had taken to ensure that malaria was dealt with, since it was predictable problem.