Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale has urged African nations to improve local financing and collaboration to put the malaria epidemic to bed, as aid from the international community continues to decline.
Addressing the High-Level Dialogue on Malaria Elimination in Gaborone, Botswana, where he was presenting President William, Duale called on governments to finance local production of lifesaving anti-malaria drugs, mosquito nets and other commodities.
“We noted that Kenya has achieved a lot of successes with confirmed cases reducing by 34 per cent from 5. 54 million in 2023 to 3. 64 million as of September 2026. Malaria among children below five has reduced from 194 to 119 per 1,000, ” he said.
But to roll out its strategy on malaria, Kenya will need KSh17. 7 billion annually and is getting only KSh2. 66 billion this year. This leaves about KSh15 billion unaccounted for.
“Malaria initiatives are being incorporated into the restructuring of Universal Health Coverage: strengthened community health services, primary care and digital surveillance, ” Duale said.
He also highlighted Kenya’s target of locally manufacturing 50 per cent of essential health commodities, noting that trials of locally produced spatial repellents had demonstrated an approximately 33 per cent reduction in malaria infections.
He appealed for the region to work together through co-ordinated surveillance with Uganda and through the East African Community to curtail the spread of malaria across the border.
This dialogue was conducted on the sidelines of the 36th Board Meeting of the RBM Partnership to End Malaria, presided over by Botswana President Duma Gideon Boko.
