[afro-nets] Kenya-Intergrated measles, ITN, polio and Vitamin A campaign

["Dr S K Sharif" <sksharif@ikenya.com>]

Kenya-Intergrated measles, ITN, polio and Vitamin A campaign
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The government of Kenya in collaboration with the Global Fund to fight TB, AIDS and Malaria (GFATM), World Health Organization (WHO), UNICEF and the American Red Cross amongst other organization have launched an integrated campaign against measles, malaria, Vitamin A deficiency and polio. The campaign started on 8th July and will go on upto 12 the July. The campaign will cover over 5 million children under five years of age in the country. The measles and Vitamin A campaign will cover all districts in the country except those which had an measles campaign in May 2006 ( these include Nairobi and North Eastern Province). 

The measles campaign was launched in Nairobi and North Eastern Province in May due to an outbreak of measles in those two provinces; the outbreak spread to other provinces. During the first campaign in Nairobi and North Eastern Province; the results were immediate and no new cases of measles were reported from these two provinces since the May campaign.

In this integrated campaign all children under five will be given measles vaccine and Vitamin A . In holoendemic malaria areas , which include Nyanza and Western Province, all children under five will be given measles vaccine, Vitamin A and long lasting insecticide treated bed nets. In six other districts which border Sudan, Somalia and have frequent contacts with Somalia, children under five will be given polio vaccine as well as the measles vaccine.

It is also anticipated that during the month of August; other  areas with a high burden of malaria will be given the bed-nets. The impact of measles campaign is well established since the last measles campaign in 2002 in Kenya dramatically reduced the incidence of measles and less then 100 cases of measles were reported annually until August 2005 when measles cases were reported in refugee population in Nairobi. 

The impact of the long lasting insecticide nets will be difficult to measure however it is expected to reduce infant and under five mortality.

Dr S K Sharif
mailto:sksharif@ikenya.com