Lodwar – 17th January, 2025 (Public Communication and Media Relations)
The country’s first-ever Seasonal Malaria Chemoprevention (SMC) pilot, conducted in Turkana Central Sub-county, has demonstrated that it can prevent malaria infection rate in children by up to 70%.
The pilot, implemented by the County Department of Health and Sanitation, the National Malaria Control Programme (NMCP) and Catholic Relief Services (CRS), ran from June to October 2024 in five cycles. It targeted children aged 3 to 59 months, who were administered the drug combination sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine and amodiaquine (SP+AQ).
According to data from the Kenya Health Information System, Turkana experiences a surge of malaria cases between June and October. During this period, 65% of all reported malaria cases reported, 30% are children under five years old.
Speaking at the dissemination of the preliminary findings, Deputy Governor Dr John Erus emphasized that seasonal malaria chemoprevention is a priority area for the county.
“We are committed to investing in programs that improve lives. We are committed to give it the required support and collaborate with all stakeholders in the health sector, including budgetary backing,” he said.
The exercise surpassed its target of reaching 38,585 children, reaching 40,123 children. Of these children, 27,208 children completed all five cycles.
County Executive for Health and Sanitation, Dr Epem Esekon, highlighted plans to scale up the initiative by integrating it with the Integrated Community Case Management (iCCM) strategy in the next round of SMC. The iCCM trains CHPs to manage common illnesses such as uncomplicated malaria, pneumonia, and diarrhea.
The Director of Primary Healthcare at the Ministry of Health, Dr Joseph Lenai, confirmed that SMC had been included in the new malaria policy and strategy. This inclusion will support government budgetary allocations and resource mobilization for the program. He also called for cost analysis research to better understand the economic benefits of the prevention method.
The CRS Health, Nutrition and Social Services Sector Lead, Dr Edwin Mbugua, stated that the evidence generated from the pilot would inform policy and facilitate scaling up the program to benefit more children.
One of the lead researchers, Prof. Wendy Omerara of Duke University, reported that 97% of children were reached with at least one cycle, while 12% experienced side effects. The research was conducted jointly by Moi University and Duke University.
All the speakers commended the efforts of community health promoters (CHPs) for their role in raising awareness and administering SP+AQ in the door-to-door campaign.
Plans are underway to conduct the second round of SMC from June to October 2025, with an aim to integrate other services, such as nutrition and immunization.
Other speakers included Deputy Commissioner Thomas Siele and County Directors Dr. Ekiru Kidalio (Medical Services) and Dr. Joseph Lolepo (Community Health Services). Senior and Turkana Central Sub-county health management teams, along with partner representatives from UNHCR Kenya, the Diocese of Lodwar, Moi University, Duke University, and the National Malaria Control Program, were also in attendance.
