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Nets Pledge As Kenyans Turn Out for Malaria Day

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Published on Tuesday, 03 July 2007 04:43
Kenyans yesterday turned out to mark Malaria Day.This year's theme, 'Unite Against Malaria', went with the slogan, 'Together We Can Beat Malaria'. In Kwale, Health minister Charity Ngilu said the introduction of the long-lasting treated mosquito nets would help curb the problem of re-treatment.Mrs Ngilu said the nets would be sold for Sh50 to pregnant women and those attending antenatal clinics in public health centres.Mrs Ngilu's speech was read by assistant minister Mohammed Kuti.

District health boss Al Busaidy said six out of 10 people attending the district hospital suffered from malaria.In Kisii, Nyanza provincial medical Officer James Gesami said 35 people had died of malaria at the district hospital in the last two months.

Speaking at Marani, Dr Gesami said the deaths could be higher, as he was yet to receive those that occurred outside the hospital.He said since 2001, malaria has been the leading killer disease in the Gusii highlands.

During the function, Barclays Bank donated 2,500 treated mosquito nets which were distributed to residents.In Kisumu, a senior malaria researcher with the Kenya Medical Research Institute, Dr Odada Sumba, said Government policies were a major setback in the fight against malaria.

He said inflexible policies had hindered the treatment and development of malaria vaccine, and regretted that, even after research had proved that sulphur-based vaccine was resistant, the Government had not changed policies governing their use.Experts say 34,000 Kenyan children below five die each year from malaria, which translates to 90 deaths daily.