26 April 2008
editorial
The World Malaria Day was marked yesterday in style and the high point was the launch of anti-mosquito spraying campaign in Rachuonyo District. The campaign, dubbed Indoor Residual Spraying, will be rolled out to other 16 districts that are prone to malaria.
Celebrating the day was significant in focusing attention to a disease, which although is a leading killer, has not received the emphasis it deserves.
Going by conservative estimates, about 80 per cent of Kenyans are at the risk of contracting the disease. Specifically, malaria kills 34,000 children annually in Kenya, not to mention pregnant women and other adults. Besides, malaria has other negative side effects such as stunting growth of children or leading to birth of deformed children.
Clearly, this is a serious health challenge that needs to be given fresh attention. Past efforts such as formulating malaria control strategies that involved distribution of treated nets have not achieved the desired goals. As such, new approaches are required. From the experience in the war on HIV, what is critical is political will that translates into adequate funding and awareness campaigns.
The Government and other agencies need to commit more resources to the war on malaria and give it the attention it deserves. Observing the malaria day was a welcome symbolic gesture but that is not an end itself. It should provide the impetus for more focused and concerted actions to rid the country and the region of this deadly disease.
It is a shame that 44 years after independence, when the founding fathers declared war against disease, hunger and ignorance, malaria and other common ailments still afflict our people and consign many to premature deaths.
Read comments. Write your own.
Copyright © 2008 The Nation. All rights reserved. Distributed by AllAfrica Global Media (allAfrica.com). To contact the copyright holder directly for corrections — or for permission to republish or make other authorized use of this material, click here.
AllAfrica aggregates and indexes content from over 125 African news organizations, plus more than 200 other sources, who are responsible for their own reporting and views. Articles and commentaries that identify allAfrica.com as the publisher are produced or commissioned by AllAfrica.
I am just wanting to give some information on Malaria- a treatment, it is a natural one, and is relatively inexpensive. I have nothing to do with this product, but I do know they are hoping to get it out to Africa as soon as possible. It is called MMS or Miracle Mineral Solution and it comes from Australia (I live in Sydney. Here is a link to a story about it: http://www.health-science-spirit.com/MMS.html and where to buy it: http://www.strideintohealth.com/main/page_product_gallery_our_products_more _products.html I hope that this information might help even one person out there. Jah bless.