This archive report was first published on 12 November 2021.
Kenya's Pneumonia Problem Persists ¶
According to the Ministry of Health, Narok, Samburu, West Pokot, Marsabit, and Mandera recorded high cases of pneumonia in the past 12 months, while Kericho, Kisumu, West Pokot, Laikipia, Samburu, Kitui, Nyeri, Nairobi, and Uasin Gishu registered the highest neonatal deaths.
During the commemoration of this year's child health days, the ministry revealed that despite numerous interventions, pneumonia remains a significant threat to children under the age of five, with only 33 percent receiving the appropriate antibiotics.
"World Pneumonia Day reminds us of the efforts the government has put in place to address pneumonia, which is a leading killer in under-fives, contributing to the deaths of around 9,000 under-fives in 2018," said Dr Andrew Mulwa, the director of Medical Services, Preventive and Promotive Health at the ministry.
The government has implemented various interventions to address pneumonia, including the introduction of new childhood vaccines, improved exclusive breastfeeding, and the strengthening of community health services.
However, the ministry noted that there was a sharp decline in pneumonia treatment in the country from March 2020 to September 2020 due to the emergence of Covid-19.
According to the Health ministry, while Kenya has made significant progress since 1990, 60,000 children under the age of five died in the country in 2018.
"The leading causes of child morbidity and mortality are familiar and are pneumonia (15 per cent), diarrhoea (11 per cent), malaria (4 per cent), HIV (4 per cent) and other non-communicable diseases (26) per cent," the ministry highlighted.
