War against malaria must be top priority

This was a bad week for malaria in this country following the announcement by the Global Fund that it was freezing its support for malaria projects in the country.

But much as the programme was already experiencing problems with few outlets still stocking the Artemisinin Combination Therapies, news that the programme was nearing its end could not have come at a worse time when the country was almost winning the war against malaria. Notably, the project helped bring down the cost such medicines by more than 200 per cent, making them affordable even to the poorest of households.

Tomorrow, as we report elsewhere, more than 3,000 people will march in the streets of Nairobi to launch an ambitious project which aims to raise Sh100 million worth of bed nets to fight malaria.

The fact that the President and Prime Minister are involved means that the project has the blessings of the Executive and has a greater chance of succeeding.

Grand Mothers Against Malaria Initiative as the project is known, aims to make long lasting insecticide-treated mosquito nets available to households in malaria endemic areas. But not only that; it intends to sensitise the people to use the nets appropriately. This, it hopes, will push coverage of such nets to 80 per cent from the current 41 per cent and help meet Millennium Development Goal number six by 2015.

Malaria is the leading cause of morbidity and mortality in Kenya with close to 70 per cent (24 million) of all the population at risk of infection. Children under five years of age and pregnant women living in endemic regions are the most vulnerable. Consequently, we cannot afford to slow down the battle against the killer disease.