Despite Covid-19 pandemic threatening to relegate other public health priority to the periphery, recent global efforts in the fight against malaria should be lauded. In Kenya, malaria is the number two cause of death, and the second leading reason why people visit hospitals. Seven in ten of the recorded malaria cases (74.4 per cent) came from Bungoma, Busia, Homa Bay, Kakamega, Kisumu, Migori, Vihiga, and Siaya counties. But there is hope that two years since the malaria vaccine launch in Africa, more than 1.7 million doses have been administered in Kenya, Ghana and Malawi, benefitting more than 650,000 children with additional malaria protection. WHO estimates that more than 7 million malaria deaths and 1.5 billion cases have been averted over the last 20 years, and the vaccine is the latest arsenal.

Source: Standard Digital May 08, 2021 02:00 UTC