Patterns and trends of malaria morbidity in Western highlands of Kenya

A study of patterns and trends of malaria morbidity was conducted in Kericho district in Kenya western highlands prone to occurrences of malaria epidemics. Kericho district supports small scale and large scale tea farming, sugarcane, horticulture, maize, wheat, potatoes, beans and vegetables besides livestock keeping. Results has shown that malaria hospitalization cases grew by 111.13% and 109.52% per annum in 1988-2002 and 1998-2005 respectively. Hospital records in the district showed a total of 814364 outpatient malaria cases(1988-2002) or average range of 1230 to 15277 per 100000 or 7.4% of the population annually was diagnosed and total hospital malaria admissions were 70511 or annual average of 4701 cases (range 3439 to 12088 cases per 100000). Malaria morbidity cases (1998-2005) were 566160 (average annual range of 3733 to 9105 cases). Malaria epidemics occurred seasonally each year between May and July after long rains (157mm-250mm in April-May) followed by high temperatures >18oC). Overall the level of positive malaria cases is high with seasonal predictable patterns of occurrences in western highlands of Kenya. Consequently control measures according to the National Malaria Control Strategy Framework of 2001-2010 and malaria education and improvement of environmental sanitation should therefore be provided to the communities in western Kenya highlands so as to reduce the problem of malaria morbidity in the region.