Government issues malaria alert in southwest

The Kenyan government has issued a high malaria alert for residents and visitors to Nyanza and parts of the Rift Valley provinces, the ‘East African Standard’ reported on Tuesday. It said an upsurge of highland malaria cases was expected following the onset of the long rains. The paper quoted Nyanza provincial medical officer Ambrose Misore as saying the government had increased drug supplies in malaria endemic areas and medical personnel had been put on high alert. Misore said highly vulnerable districts like Kisii, Nyamira and Gucha were already recording at least 100 cases per week, with about 100 malaria deaths recorded at the Kisii district hospital between January and 17 March.