Announcement

KENYA -- Malaria is the leading killer of children and pregnant women in Kenya, where poverty, poor prevention practices, costly care, and insufficient drug supplies have propelled the disease to devastating proportions.

 

In October 2009, HealthRight International launched the Partnership for the Prevention and Treatment of Malaria to curb morbidity and mortality from malaria in the five highest-risk districts of Kenya’s Northern Rift Valley, where HealthRight has worked for over four years.

 

“Over three years, we hope to reach more than 500,000 children, pregnant women, and people living in poverty or with HIV/AIDS who are most vulnerable to malaria,” said Jennifer Olson,  HealthRight Program Manager for Kenya.

 

In 2008, these districts reported almost 400,000 cases of malaria. Deaths due to malaria were as high as 19 percent, and as many as 70 percent of pregnant women lacked access to preventative and curative medications.

 

The Partnership for the Prevention and Treatment of Malaria will build the capacity of the local community and health system to promote risk-reducing behaviors, improve service delivery, and increase access to insecticide-treated nets. Partners include the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Kenya, Population Services International, the Kenya NGO Alliance Against Malaria, and private health facilities.

 

The program will promote malaria prevention and care-seeking behaviors by training community health workers, pharmacists, and others to spread prevention and care-seeking messages to patients and clients.

 

HealthRight will also award grants to  local organizations to design social behavioral change campaigns, utilizing local knowledge of customs and culture to have maximum impact.

 

Malaria prevention, diagnosis, and treatment services will be improved by increasing the capacity of District Health Management Teams to train, monitor, and mentor health care providers at village hospitals and pharmacies.

 

HealthRight is also improving inventory control and updating data management systems at health care facilities. In high-risk districts such as West Pokot, which suffered two malaria epidemics in 2008, HealthRight is establishing surveillance systems and epidemic preparedness plans.

 

HealthRight will also supply over 65,000 insecticide treated nets to women and children annually.

 

“This simple action can save uncountable lives,” says Olson.

 

In 2007, less than 50 percent of families in Kenya slept under bed nets.  Working with Population Services International and community health workers, HealthRight will distribute nets and promote proper usage to children and pregnant women in health care facilities and individual households.

 

By improving the capacity of local partners to address the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of malaria, HealthRight is strengthening the health and human rights of one of Kenya’s most vulnerable populations.

.