Kenya Medical Research Institute study reveals malaria insect is outsmarting control measures
The landmark findings, released by the Wellcome Sanger Institute in collaboration with the Kenya Medical Research Institute (KEMRI) and scientists from 16 African countries, shows that Anopheles funestus, a species long overshadowed by its cousin Anopheles gambiae but equally capable of spreading malaria was rapidly adapting to withstand control measures.
Arid and semi-arid region in north-western Kenya experiences torrential rains after 65 years
Dickson Rotich, a Sengwer elder who is also the community’s spokesman, recalled that such a phenomenon is only comparable to 1961 when rains were so heavy that they resulted in bumper harvests.
New malaria drug Coartem Baby set for rollout in East and West Africa after successful trials in Uganda
Africa’s 1.5 billion people accounted for 95 per cent of an estimated 597,000 malaria deaths worldwide in 2023, according to the WHO. More than three-quarters of those deaths were among children.
In Uganda, an east African country of 45 million people, there were 12.6 million malaria cases and nearly 16,000 deaths in 2023. Many were children younger than five and pregnant women, according to WHO.
Four in five child deaths in Africa are avoidable and caused by infections during hospital visits, study finds
Dr Isaac Kihurani, a paediatric specialist at Aga Khan University Hospital in Nairobi, said that dealing with preventable child deaths takes an emotional toll on healthcare workers.
