The Busia County Government has plans to embark on Indoor Residual Spraying (IRS) with a view to reducing the malaria burden.
Speaking during an inception meeting at a hotel in Busia town on Thursday, Busia Deputy Governor Arthur Odera said that the initiative will provide a longer-lasting solution to the malaria menace in the county.
Odera opined that the use of IRS will also reduce the cost of managing the disease, especially for the local residents who use insecticides.
‘We are the county with the highest malaria prevalence rate of 39%, with the number of people in pain from malaria while others lose lives,’ he said, adding that the disease also affects the county’s economic production.
The President’s Malaria Initiative (PMI) Resident Advisor, Mildred Shisia, said that the organisation will provide financial, operational, and technical assistance to ensure that the programme succeeds.
The Deputy Director of Public Health, National Malaria Programme, Paul Kiptoo, said that other interventions, including mass distribution of mosquito nets and immunisation of children, will also be used alongside IRS.
IRS entails the spraying of interior walls with a long-lasting insecticide that is safe for humans but kills mosquitoes.
The insecticide lasts for between six to 12 months and kills mosquitoes that come into contact with it.
The technology has been used in Migori, Homa Bay, and Kisumu counties to control the malaria burden.
Source: Kenya News Agency