Kenya and Cuba have launched a joint effort aimed at eradicating malaria causing mosquitoes in a bid to reduce high incidents of the disease within the Lake Victoria region.
Siaya County Commissioner Jim Njoka in a speech read on his behalf by Bondo deputy county commissioner Richard Karani during this year’s World Malaria day celebrations, said that the programme will target destruction of mosquito larvae within the breeding areas.
Njoka said the programme is set to be launched in the County in May. Malaria prevalence in Siaya stands at 29 percent against the national average of six percent.
The county executive committee member for health Dismas Wakla lamented over the high prevalence, adding that out of every 1,000 people in the county, 508 are malaria positive.
Wakla said that the prevalence rates were high in Alego / Usonga, Rarieda and Gem constituencies and hailed the national government for several initiatives; among them the distribution of long lasting insecticide treated mosquito nets that have helped to reduce the prevalence.
“It is however discouraging that some people opt to put the nets into other uses such as fencing their kitchen gardens and using them for fishing Omena,” said Wakla.
The head of Malaria control in the county, Eunice Akinyi said Siaya was amongst Malaria endemic areas in the Lake Victoria region that was administering malaria vaccine to children.
“We are doing this in Rarieda, Gem and Ugenya sub counties,” she said, adding that the vaccination exercise has seen an increased coverage from about 6,500 children in 2019 to more than 11,000 children in 2021.
