Health experts raise alarm over increasing Kala-Azar disease cases in Kenya

Disease experts and scientists are raising alarm over the rapid spread of Kala-Azar across Kenya, warning that the neglected tropical disease is silently expanding beyond traditionally mapped areas.

KEMRI researchers say the parasitic disease has now spread to at least 12 counties, covering nearly 60 percent of the country’s landmass, as cases continue to emerge in counties not previously classified as endemic.

The experts warn that the prolonged drought has further amplified the crisis. Malnutrition significantly increases vulnerability to Kala-Azar, with communities hardest hit by food insecurity at a high risk of infection and death.

At the same time, researchers report rising anti-malarial drug resistance, with mutated parasites detected in patients even after treatment.

They say that since 2015, Kenya has made little progress in reducing malaria mortality, particularly in endemic regions around Lake Victoria and along the coast.

Dr. Daniel Masiga, Infectious Diseases Biologist, ICIPE, said: “We have upsurges now and then, I think some of the more pressing challenges are just access to diagnostics and treatment. Case fatality rate, if the patient is not treated, is 95%.”

Prof. Isabella Oyier, a researcher, added: “We’re finding that any patient that comes with the Malaria parasite and it has that mutation, they’re not clearing their parasites by the required day three. The regimen takes three days and usually when its working well, by day three everyone clears the parasites to zero, so you don’t see anything when you do microscopy. So it means there’s some loss of efficacy in our anti-malarial treatment.”