Counties Step Up Efforts to Fight Malaria

Several county governments in Kenya are intensifying their malaria control efforts, rolling out targeted interventions to curb the disease’s high burden. In Busia County, officials have launched a large-scale Larval Source Management (LSM) initiative that targets mosquito breeding sites. The program involves spraying 44 high-risk breeding areas and using community health promoters to educate residents about preventing mosquito proliferation. The county government also reports that their recent Indoor Residual Spraying campaign achieved 101% coverage, treating over 265,000 structures, a strategic move to reduce adult mosquito populations and lower infection rates.
In Homa Bay County, health teams say they’ve made major progress: malaria prevalence has dropped from 17% in 2017 to 3.6%, according to the most recent Kenya Malaria Indicator Survey. The county attributes this success to combined interventions — including the use of the malaria vaccine, indoor spraying, and strong community engagement to promote preventive behaviors.
Turkana County has also ramped up its malaria response after being classified as a high-burden area under the national malaria strategy. As part of its strategy, the county implemented Seasonal Malaria Chemoprevention (SMC) for children aged 3–59 months, a move that helped reduce malaria infection by up to 70% in pilot sub-counties.To further strengthen its response, Turkana is rolling out a second round of chemoprevention starting June 2025, integrating digital tools (via the eCHIS platform) to track coverage.
Meanwhile, Nandi County has distributed insecticide-treated bed nets to vulnerable populations, including children under five and pregnant women. This campaign emphasizes not only net distribution but also community education on their proper use — an essential step in reducing the risk of malaria transmission in high-risk sub-counties like Aldai and Tindiret.
These county-level efforts reflect a broader national strategy supported by the Ministry of Health and key partners. The government’s current malaria-prevention plan involves mass distribution of 15.3 million long-lasting insecticidal nets (LLINs) to 22 high-burden counties, using digitized systems to improve transparency and ensure nets reach the right households.