Malaria in Kenya remains a significant public health concern and is listed among the top 10 causes of outpatient visits in the country. Currently malaria accounts for 18 percent of all our outpatient visits in public health facilities. The burden of malaria in Kenya is not uniform with the highest-burden being in the eight counties around Lake Victoria region. This region accounts for 70% of the 6.5m malaria cases across the health care delivery sector. The most vulnerable populations are children below the age of five years and pregnant women. The vision of National Malaria Control Programme is to have a malaria-free Kenya while the goal is to ensure a reduction of malaria incidence and deaths by 75% of the levels recorded in 2016 by 2023.
The Ministry of Health established the National Malaria Control Programme, in 1994. The National Malaria Control Programme is administratively under the State Department of Public health and Professional Standards and technically positioned within the Directorate of Preventive and Promotive Health Services of the Ministry of Health. The program, currently headed by Dr. Kibor Keitany is charged with the responsibility of providing policy strategic guidance and support capacity development in the Counties as well as coordination of the scaling up of an effective malaria control and prevention strategies and interventions. This scale-up is based on the Kenya Malaria Strategic plans, which are developed after every 5 years following comprehensive Malaria Program reviews. The strategy in force currently spans between 2019–2023, with clear objectives each with specific strategic approaches to their achievements.
A malaria-free Kenya.