Cabinet Secretary Dr. Mailu, Director of Medical Services Dr. Kioko, National Malaria Control Program Head Dr. Waqo, WHO Representative Dr. Mandhlate,

Ladies and gentlemen, Good morning! It is my pleasure to join you all to observe World Malaria Day. Why do we commemorate World Malaria Day together every year? The answer is simple: malaria remains a serious threat to people’s health. Globally, malaria kills a child every two minutes. In Kenya, 70 percent of the population is at risk. Today we renew our resolve to eliminate this disease. Although malaria remains one of the leading causes of sickness and death in Kenya, we have come a long way and that is worth recognizing and celebrating.

The recently released 2015 Kenya Malaria Indicator Survey (KMIS) shows that overall Kenya is on the right track. National malaria prevalence dropped from 11 percent in 2010 to 8 percent in 2015, with an even greater reduction in lake endemic areas. This is a noteworthy achievement. One of the greatest weapons against malaria is a treated mosquito net. The KMIS 2015 findings showed that for people in malaria endemic areas, and particularly for women and children, treated net ownership and use has gone up. In households that had at least one net, about 80 percent of pregnant women and children slept under their net the night before the survey. Encouraging still is that intervention coverage continues to grow in areas where it is most needed. Together we are shrinking the malaria map in Kenya and this is because of our smart investments and strong partnerships over the years.

USAID is a proud and committed partner of Kenya and through the U.S. President’s Malaria Initiative, invests $35 million each year to this fight. Our support to the National Malaria Control Program includes the procurement and distribution of long-lasting insecticide-treated nets, rapid-diagnostic kits and antimalarial medicines, improving case-management, and supporting surveys. Kenya has made incredible strides not only in the health sector but in improving the economic prospects of its citizens. Malaria threatens this tremendous progress. The correlation between poverty and malaria is startling. In Africa, malaria is understood to be both a disease of poverty and a cause of poverty, costing the continent billions of dollars and limiting economic growth. The impact of malaria reverberates across all spheres of Kenyan society and life. It accounts for missed school days; lost work days and productivity; and deters investments in counties and cities. In Kenya, malaria accounts for approximately 16 percent of outpatient visits, putting a burden on the public health system and people’s finances. And the cost of human suffering caused by malaria is impossible to quantify. Malaria is intrinsically linked to the achievement of Kenya’s Vision 2030 and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.

We can accelerate our efforts to achieving these goals if we continue to prioritize the welfare of women and children, who too often pay the greatest price when malaria hits home. Malaria control is central to improving child survival and maternal health, eradicating extreme poverty, expanding access to education, and ending preventable deaths. Today, let us further strengthen our partnerships and resolve in this fight.

Eliminating malaria will not only free up resources currently being used to fight this disease, but will improve the quality of life for millions of people. By working together, we can do what people once thought was impossible: end malaria for good. Asante sana -- Thank you.