The number of people seeking Malaria treatment per week in Kenya has dropped drastically since the first Coronavirus case was reported in March. 5 million people are treated for Malaria each year in Kenya, and Health CAS Rashid Aman revealed that health facilities were treating around 300, 000 people per week. At the moment, the number has dropped to 100,000 a week, “This of course is not something we want to continue, this needs to be corrected and we need to be able to get people to visit health facilities anytime they feel they have symptoms that indicate they have Malaria,” he said.
He attributed the drop in numbers to a preference of people to self medicate, opting to buy medicine from chemists, and others fearing they may have Covid-19, “The symptoms are similar so people might fear that when they go to a facility they may be tested for Covid-19.” The number of Kenyans visiting health facilities has also dropped due to a fear that they may contract the virus at the facilities, “All these are not founded on fact,” he affirmed.
He urged those with Malaria symptoms to seek medical help early. He noted that those who fail to seek medical attention when the disease is mild end up doing so when it’s severe, “This will complicate their health status as it’s likely that some may lose their lives if they do not get proper medical attention,” he stated.