Abstract
The target for malaria case management in Kenya is to ensure that 100 percent of all fever cases receive a parasitological diagnosis, by microscopy or rapid diagnostic test (RDT), followed by appropriate treatment.
MALARIA SITUATION IN KENYA
Kenya’s 2014 population is estimated at 44.9 million people, with an estimated growth of 2.6 percent per year1 . Children under five account for about 15 percent of the total population2 . Approximately 70 percent of the population is at risk for malaria, which accounts for about 18 percent of outpatient consultations and 6 percent of hospital admissions3 .
MALARIA PREVALENCE
Malaria prevalence varies considerably by season and across geographic regions. For the purposes of malaria control, the country has been stratified into four epidemiological zones to address the varied risks. The majority of the atrisk population live in areas of epidemic and seasonal malaria transmission where P. falciparum (pf) parasite prevalence is usually less than 5 percent. An estimated 12 million people live in endemic areas, one-third of whom live in areas where parasite prevalence is estimated to be equal to or greater than 40 percent.
NATIONAL TREATMENT GUIDELINES
The 2014 National Guidelines for the Diagnosis, Treatment and Prevention of Malaria in Kenya4 recommend diagnosis-based treatment as part of effective case management. The target for case management is to ensure that 100 percent of all fever cases receive a parasitological diagnosis, by microscopy or rapid diagnostic tests (RDT), followed by appropriate treatment. Kenya uses the Artemisinin-based Combination Therapy (ACT) Artemether Lumafantrine (AL) as the first-line treatment for uncomplicated malaria and parenteral quinine, artesunate, or artemether for severe malaria, policies which were adopted in 2004.
