NAIROBI, Feb 6 (NNN-KBC) — Kenya’s End Malaria Council (EMC) is intensifying efforts to bridge the funding shortfall in the country’s malaria control initiatives, with a renewed focus on tapping into private sector resources.
As part of a broader regional push, the council is working to ensure sustained progress in Kenya’s fight against malaria, which remains a significant public health challenge despite recent strides.
The urgency of this mission is underscored by the 2025 End Malaria Councils and Funds Chairs Meeting, which brought together leaders from seven African nations, including Kenya, Mozambique, Nigeria, Uganda, Tanzania, Zanzibar, Zambia and Eswatini in Nairobi.
The meeting focused on raising the estimated US$6.3 billion needed annually to sustain and expand malaria control efforts across the continent.
Chris Getonga, the Chair of Kenya’s End Malaria Council, emphasized the critical role of domestic resource mobilization, particularly from the private sector, in ensuring that malaria control programs can continue and thrive.
He highlighted the risk that declining global donor funding could reverse the significant progress made in malaria control, with many nations now relying on local solutions to address the funding gap.
Kenya has made notable progress in reducing malaria prevalence, dropping from 8% in 2015 to 6% in 2023, but challenges remain.
In 2022, the country reported 5 million malaria cases and more than 12,000 deaths, underscoring the ongoing threat.
Despite these challenges, the country faces a 50% funding gap, hindered further by the growing issue of insecticide resistance, particularly in high-prevalence regions like Lake Victoria.
In response, the EMC has successfully mobilized resources to support ongoing malaria control efforts. Since its launch in 2021, the council has secured US$400,000 from SC Johnson for biolarviciding efforts using drones in Busia County, as well as US$1 million for social behaviour change campaigns, the establishment of malaria clinics at border areas, and the deployment of new malaria prevention tools.
The Nairobi meeting also addressed the global challenges affecting malaria control, including a recent suspension of US foreign aid funding for 90 days, which has disrupted critical malaria programs in many African countries.
As Mazrui Nassor, Zanzibar’s Minister of Health, noted, 70% of funding for malaria efforts on the continent still comes from external sources.
He called for increased domestic investment to reduce the continent’s reliance on international donors and ensure long-term success in eliminating malaria.
As the continent faces a critical juncture in the battle against malaria, the Nairobi summit reinforced the need for sustained funding, innovation, and collaboration across sectors to accelerate the progress needed to achieve malaria elimination by 2030.
Kenya’s End Malaria Council is committed to playing a key role in this mission, leveraging private-sector partnerships to continue pushing forward the fight against one of Africa’s most enduring health threats. — NNN-KBC
