Malaria-related deaths increase in Kenya

The number of deaths arising from Malaria in Kenya increased from 11,768 in 2020 to 12,011 in 2021, the latest report by the World Health Organization shows.

At the same time, the number of Malaria cases in the country rose from 3.3 million in 2020 to 3.42 million in 2021.

Kenya's 2021 Malaria load accounted for 1.3 per cent of all Malaria cases in the world.

The findings dubbed the World Malaria Report said that Malaria-caused deaths globally reduced to 619,000 in 2021 from 625,000 the previous year.

"In 2019, before the [Covid-19] pandemic struck, the number of deaths stood at 568,000," said the report.

"The global tally of Malaria cases reached 247 million in 2021, compared to 245 million in 2020 and 232 million in 2019," revealed the report.

The findings stated that in 2020 Malaria in Kenya accounted for 1.1 per cent of all Malaria cases across the globe, increasing to 1.3 per cent in 2021.

In 2020 Kenya accounted for 2 per cent of deaths, this decreased to 1.9 per cent in 2021.

Dr. James Dan Otieno, Malaria Technical Officer with the WHO Kenya, said the country must take up ownership of the fight towards "zero Malaria deaths".

"It is morally unacceptable for Kenyan children and pregnant mothers to die from a preventable disease like Malaria," he said.

Africa continues to shoulder the heaviest burden of Malaria.

Globally in 2021, the region accounted for 95 per cent of all Malaria cases, equivalent to 235 million cases.

Further, the continent also accounted for 96 per cent of Malaria-caused deaths, constituting 593,00 deaths. Nearly 80 per cent of all deaths were among children under the age of 5.