As we mark World Malaria Day 2022,we lift our heads higher with hope for an even better tomorrow on the historic milestones we continue hitting towards eradicating this deadly disease once and for all.
Last year Kenya entered the history books as one of the three African countries to pilot and roll out the World’s first vaccine aginst Malaria a breakthrough that shows an intensified fight that brings Kenya and the world closer to ending the battle against Malaria.
Kenya is not the only country suffering from the burden of this life threatening disease. Malaria is a preventable and treatable disease that continues to have a devastating impact on the health and livelihood of people around the world.
All through the years Malaria has become a global nuisance as it has claimed millions of lives.
Malaria accounts for 1 in 5 deaths of Children in Kenya. In Kenya there are an estimated 3.5 million new clinical cases and 10700 deaths each year, more than 70% at risk. Young children and pregnant women are at great risk.
In 2021 Malaria killed 241 million people and 627 000 malaria deaths worldwide. Over 200 million people get infected with malaria.405,000 people die worldwide and mostly children below 5 years.
The high number of Malaria cases continues to be registered even though several efforts have been put in place towards malaria eradication.
It is for this reason Joseph Mwaura a father two and a shop owner residing in Kayole,Soweto says that he has used various means to eradicate mosquitoes from his house to prevent malaria such as Mortein doom spray,treated mosquito nets and mosquito coils which he is worried that is harzadous to his children’s health.
Despite his efforts the government has failed him in such that the environment of Soweto is wanting as its filled with filth such as stagnant sewage water,waste plastics and bushes. Joseph pleads with the government and the people of Soweto to take care of the environment so that we can fight this deadly epidemic together.
Phoebe Nyabasa, a lady living in Machakos makes sure that every visitor and her family in her house sleeps under a treated mosquito net, she continues to say “I urge the government to continue giving out treated mosquito nets to pregnant women and patients in the hopital to harsen the fight against malaria”.
Tapping into our sustained efforts and activities in vector control aligns well this years World Malaria Day theme “Harness Innovation to reduce the Malaria disease burden and save lives” In view of the brand’s strategic long-term efforts,World Malaria Day presents us with an opportunity to communicate to our key stakeholders and the public all efforts in eradicating malaria. Our resolve is to ensure that we provide access to the right product solutions, have the right partnerships, and educate through digital and mass media to every citizen around the country.
We still can do more to accelerate the pace of ending malaria if all of us join the fray in scalling up lifesaving interventions to sustain the good momentum we have achieved to date. We cannot afford to drop the ball at this moment.
While so many people continue to undermine how deadly malaria is as compared to other life snatchers like HIV, it’s important to educate ,Senstize and share statistics of the threats of malaria in emphasis of what precautions people should take to Preventing this disease. The government should there fore invest more in helthcare and teaching people how they can prevent the disease.