Kenya has launched a malaria Strategic Plan to help combat the widespread disease that continues to kill hundreds of people and children in the country each year.

The Great Lakes Malaria Initiative Strategic Plan (2021-2025) will prioritize collaborating with and supporting community-led initiatives within the region’s borders.

According to Health Cabinet Secretary Mutahi Kagwe, eliminating Malaria in the region requires a strategic approach that focuses tackling the disease at the breeding sites.

“We ought to focus on prevention from the source and embrace the principles of primary healthcare. To effectively combat Malaria, we must start at the breeding sites, where mosquitoes thrive. As such, we need to spread awareness on the role of Larviciding in the fight against Malaria.” Kagwe sai.

According to the Center for Population Control (CDC), Kenya has an estimated 3.5 million new clinical cases of malaria and 10,700 deaths each year. Those living in western Kenya have an especially high risk of malaria.

Every year, mosquitoes kill more than one million people around the world according to the World Health Organization.

Malaria transmitted by the Anopheles mosquito causes almost half of the deaths, and 90 percent of the fatalities occur in Africa.

Kenya To Use Drones to Fight Malaria

Kagwe further announced that the ministry in partnership with SC Johnson, the East African Community and society for Family health will be deploying drones to spray mosquito breeding sites around the lake basin in Western Kenya.

“I am happy to note that our recently constituted End Malaria Council, working with the private sector has plans to deploy drones to spray mosquito breeding sites,” the CS said.