Kenya has recorded a 34 per cent drop in confirmed malaria cases over the past three years, but the government says a major funding shortfall is threatening efforts to bring the disease under control.
Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale shared the figures during a high-level dialogue on malaria elimination in Gaborone, Botswana, where he represented President William Ruto.
Duale said confirmed cases had fallen from 5.54 million in 2023 to 3.64 million in the year ending September 2026.
Malaria cases among children under five had also declined, with incidence dropping from 194 to 119 cases per 1,000 people.
Despite the progress, Kenya is facing an 85 per cent funding gap in implementing its malaria strategy. Duale said the country requires Ksh17.7 billion annually but has only Ksh2.66 billion available in the current financial year.
He warned that declining support from international partners could reverse gains made in the fight against malaria, urging African governments to increase domestic funding and take greater responsibility for elimination programmes.
The Cabinet Secretary called for more investment in prevention, diagnosis and treatment, as well as stronger local production of essential health products.
He said Kenya was integrating malaria services into its Universal Health Coverage reforms through primary healthcare networks and Community Health Promoters. The government is also using digital surveillance systems to track the disease.
On drug resistance, Duale said Kenya was strengthening monitoring of antimalarial medicines and adopting multiple first-line treatment options to respond to emerging resistance.
He also reiterated the country’s target of manufacturing 50 per cent of its essential health products locally.
Duale mentioned that there is a significant increase in manufacturing capacity in Nairobi, including the production of spatial repellents, and that the use of the products had reduced the number of malaria infections by about 33 per cent.
He called on the development partners to prioritize quality assured products manufactured in Africa, including drugs, mosquito nets and diagnostic kits.
Duale also encouraged more collaboration between East African nations, mentioning that because malaria is transmitted from one country to another, surveillance, exchange of information and preventative efforts should be done collaboratively.
An example of this regional cooperation is the joint surveillance between Kenya and Uganda.
The meeting took place in Gaborone alongside the 36th Board Meeting of the RBM Partnership to End Malaria chaired by President of Botswana, Duma Gideon Boko.
It brought together RBM Partnership Chief Executive Officer Michael Adekunle Charles, Global Fund Executive Director Peter Sands and health ministers from Botswana, Namibia, Sudan, Equatorial Guinea and Angola.
Duale was accompanied by Kenya’s High Commissioner to Botswana, Sabdiyo Dido.