Kalobeyei, 28th July 2025
Turkana County has unveiled Seasonal Malaria Chemoprevention (SMC) campaign that targets up to 39000 children between 3 and 59 months in Kakuma and Kalobeyei as part of the strategy for malaria prevention among the host and refugee populations in the area.
The campaign, jointly led by the National Malaria Control Program (NMCP) and Turkana County Malaria Program, is supported by Catholic Relief Services (CRS), United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR), International Rescue Committee (IRC) and the Kenya Red Cross Society (KRCS).
Launch was led by the Deputy Governor Dr John Erus who said that the campaign would further boost efforts towards controlling a disease whose burden has been recorded to reach up to 7000 caseloads every month for Kakuma refugee camp, Kalobeyei settlement and host communities.
“Let’s get it clear, Seasonal Malaria Chemoprevention initial application in Turkana Central recorded up to 71% efficacy. With that, we hope that the heavy burden of 7000 cases per week reported in facilities within the two camps and through these preventive interventions malaria cases have decreased significantly as was the case in Turkana Central,” DG Erus said.
While calling on parents and guardians to allow the children take up the medication to be administered in phases during period of high malaria infection, DG Erus emphasised that the drug was safe just like all the medications that have benefitted from scientific scrutiny.
Additionally, Dr. Erus clarified that the SMC was being implemented Alongside distribution of treated mosquito nets, Intermittent Preventive Malaria Treatment in Pregnancy (IPTp), continued vector surveillance, roll out of spatial repellent and strengthened case management.
He further added that Turkana was ready to share data of success realized from the program since it was the leading county in SMC implementation in Kenya.
In his address during the launch, Chief officer for Medical Services Dr Gilchrist Lokoel cited data indicating that Turkana was among the top ten high burden counties in terms of malaria prevalence, further urging the community to take part on the process.
“As we continue working with the National Malaria Control Program and key partners in the process, we call upon the public to do everything possible to prevent malaria. Use the nets you have been given, seek for medical attention when sick and allow the health care workers administer the SMC to our children,” he said.
The launch was attended and addressed by the National Malaria Control Program coordinator alongside the representatives of CRS and Kenya Red Cross, UNHCR.
Turkana is one of the malaria high burden counties in Kenya with a 39% prevalence against the 6% which is the national average prevalence. Current data indicates that incidences stands at 483 per 1000 population with more than 50% coming from Turkana West.
As a prevention strategy that works by administration of a combination of drugs as prophylaxis, the campaign will be running four cycles spread over three months when vulnerability to malaria infection is highest due to the short rainy season from August to December.
