Reckitt Remains Steadfast In The Fight Against Malaria In Kenya

Reckitt has reaffirmed its commitment to the fight against Malaria in Kenya.

Reckitt through its brand, Mortein Doom, remains a key stakeholder in ensuring that the Malaria scourge is controlled through driving public educational initiatives that reinforce the message that Malaria is preventable and treatable.

A countrywide malaria prevention campaign that involves education on malaria prevention & in-store consumer education has been launched. Reckitt’s Country Manager, Sachin Varma says the war against Malaria is for all of us.

This year’s World Malaria theme is, “Zero Malaria – Draw the Line Against Malaria”. The theme explores and connects malaria elimination and malaria in high-burden settings.

Reckitt has been steadfast in the fight against Malaria through investment in Mortein Doom insecticide products which are aimed at providing protection from mosquitos.

According to WHO World Malaria Report 2020, the number of confirmed malaria cases in 2020 decreased to 86 per 1,000 population per year from 113 per 1,000 of the population in 2016. There was a decreased out-patient attendance from 30 to 19 percent and in-patient admissions from 20 to 15 percent.

Mr. Varma expressed confidence that the fight against malaria will be won. “Zero malaria is within reach for all Kenyans.

‘The aim is to fight the menace of the malaria-causing mosquitoes by interrupting their life cycles to enhance our preventive strategies,” he explained.

Read More: Malaria Is Killing More Than Covid-19 – WHO

WHO World Malaria Report 2020 continues to state that about 95% of malaria deaths were in 32 countries with Kenya accounting for 1% of that. Kenya also accounted for 3 percent of all malaria deaths globally in 2019.

About 230 million cases of malaria and more than 400,000 deaths globally are attributed to malaria each year. African children are at the highest risk of dying of malaria which accounted for more than 265,000 deaths of children in Africa in 2019.

100 percent of the Kenyan population are considered at risk with 70 percent living in high transmission areas. The disease is listed among the top 10 causes of outpatient visits countrywide.

The burden is higher among children under the age of 5 years with an annual incidence of 158 cases per 1,000 population in 2020.

Mr. Varma also noted the effects Covid-19 pandemic on the fight against malaria and what needs to be done. “The COVID-19 pandemic heavily disrupted malaria service delivery resulting in a reduction in hospital visits at all levels.

But Malaria remains among the biggest killers and the gains made need to be sustained. It still takes a child’s life every two minutes. We will continue to play our part. But every citizen needs to take individual responsibility to upscale malaria prevention interventions,” Varma added.

According to the Ministry of Health, Covid-19 has claimed about 2500 lives from the first case experienced in Kenya in March 2020.

Data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) shows that malaria is responsible for about 10,700 deaths in Kenya each year, therefore malaria remains a key concern and the war is far from over.

Reckitt has also led education campaigns in conjunction with the Ministry of Health and other partners to wipe out malaria in Kenya.

The company has and continues to work with communities to empower them in this fight and believes that it is part of the company’s mandate to be actively involved in promoting the achievement of malaria-related goals in
Kenya.