Hunger, poverty and ignorance have been cited as a major cause of the spread of malaria in Kiambu county.
Speaking to Hivisasa during an interview in her office on Monday, Kiambu district hospital nursing officer, Teresia Mbua affirmed that many people in the county are at risk of contracting malaria since are not using mosquito nets
“Many poor families are selling mosquito nets distributed by the government for food,” she said
Ms Mbua added that many other residents have changed the normal use for the mosquito nets to fit other needs in their households.
“Several have changed the campaign ‘Mbu nje sisi ndani’ to ‘Mboga ndani kuku nje’ by fencing their vegetable gardens with the mosquito nets to prevent poultry from feeding on their vegetables instead of using the nets to protect themselves against mosquito bites,” she lamented.
She confirmed that a huge percentage of patients who were visiting the hospital were infected with malaria, adding that the spread of malaria in the County has been accelerated by increased breeding of mosquito’s during the rainy season.
She further said that there is an ongoing awareness program in some regions in the County to sensitize residents on the appropriate use of the nets.