Challenges Facing Implementation of Malaria Control Activities in Eldoret Municipality, Kenya

Malaria is a potentially deadly disease that kills more than a million people each year, mainly young children and pregnant women, yet it is preventable and curable. There have been concerted efforts by the government, Non-Governmental Organizations and individuals to combat malaria in Kenya. However, such efforts have failed to achieve the objectives due to lack of adequate resources such as trained health human resource and budget allocations for malaria programmes. Hence, unsatisfactory implementation of malaria programmes in Eldoret Municipality. It is apparent that those efforts directed towards malaria control programmes have achieved very little success as large numbers of people in Eldoret Municipality are being affected by malaria. Consequently, one of the limitations in the effort to eradicate malaria is uncoordinated efforts at the Municipality level and inability to interpret health policies on the ground for effective implementation. This has been greatly hampered by lack of expert personnel at the Municipality level. This study sought to examine the challenges facing implementation of malarial activities in Eldoret Municipality. The study used a case study design and census for selection of participants involved in malaria control activities in Eldoret Municipality. Both primary and secondary data was collected using structured and semi-structured questions and interviews for primary data and examination of records for secondary data. Processed data was analyzed and presented in percentages and frequency tables. The study found out that the number of personnel employed in the health sector within the municipality is very low hence, unable to address the needs of people in the Municipality and this poses a major human resources crisis in the health sector leading to low diagnosis of malaria and those few available are not well motivated to perform their duties0. + The study recommends that for malaria treatment to be effective, there is need for employment of more health personnel, adequate training for the personnel, supervision and follow-up in achieving a change in perceptions and practice. Additionally, there is need to maximize the support provided by other stakeholders such as Non-Governmental Organizations and other international partners in implementation of malaria control programmes in Kenya. Finally, there is need to seal the existing gap between policy on malaria control and reality in actual implementation at the Municipality level.