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In the lead-up to World Malaria Day, stakeholders gathered in Kwale County to tackle Kenya’s escalating malaria crisis, worsened by climate change.
The media breakfast, hosted by the Malaria Constituency of the Global Fund Kenya Country Coordinating Mechanism, united civil society, health experts, and policymakers to bolster coastal networks combating malaria.
Eva Muthuuri, Malaria Representative for the Global Fund’s Country Coordinating Mechanism and End Malaria Council member, stressed urgent action: “Malaria is now a climate justice issue. We must deliver services, information, and supplies to the most vulnerable while tracking the climate-driven disease burden.”
The event followed the Global Fund’s recent engagement with non-state actors in the coastal region, which produced a roadmap for grassroots involvement in malaria elimination, according to Margaret Mundia, a Health Systems Specialist at the Global Fund Kenya Coordinating Mechanism.
Jasho Bomu, CEO of Strengthening Community Partnership and Empowerment (SCOPE), highlighted the crisis’s scale: “In 2023, Kenya recorded over 3.3 million malaria cases, with coastal and lake regions hit hardest. Warm temperatures and seasonal rains create ideal mosquito breeding grounds.”
Climate change intensifies these challenges, extending transmission seasons and expanding mosquito habitats. A Science Direct study notes that 11% of Kenya’s malaria cases are concentrated in coastal endemic zones, underscoring the region’s vulnerability.
The Kenya Malaria Strategy 2023–2027 targets an 80% reduction in malaria incidence and a 90% drop in deaths by 2027/28. Success hinges on community-driven efforts, including early diagnosis, integrated vector management, and mobilization in high-burden areas.
Funding remains a hurdle, with a Ksh25 million shortfall threatening progress. Closing this gap is vital to scaling interventions for vulnerable populations.
Private sector innovation is stepping up. Roneek Vora, End Malaria Council member and Director of Sales and Marketing at Revital Healthcare, showcased their new facility: “Africa’s largest rapid diagnostic test manufacturing plant produces 20 million kits monthly for malaria, HIV, and other diseases, creating 200 jobs, 80% filled by women, including those with hearing and speech impairments.”
SC Johnson is also contributing, investing $10 million in a Nairobi facility to produce 20 million units of Guardian™ spatial repellent annually. Partnerships with the End Malaria Council Kenya support distribution through community health workers and fund new rural clinics.
As World Malaria Day approaches, Kenya’s coastal leaders send a unified message: climate change may fuel malaria, but collective action can defeat it.
