WAJIR, Kenya – Kenya is on a high alert following the outbreak of Black fever, also called Kala-azar disease, in the counties of Wajir and Marsabit.
Against this backdrop, the National Government has stepped up its response to the disease ravaging the northeastern counties. Fresh data indicates the death toll from the disease has hit 25, with infections now rising to over 600, most affected being children.
Fresh data suggests that 106 people are receiving treatment at various facilities in Wajir county, the most affected being the county’s Level 4 hospital, where most of the operations have been moved.
Speaking on the morning of Friday, March 28, 2025, when she flagged off three mobile laboratories to the counties to help in early diagnosis, public health and professional standards PS Mary Muthoni said the government, through the National Treasury is releasing funds to aid combat the disease that has so far claimed over 20 lives since its fresh outbreak in September 2024.
“The Ministry of Health is working with the County Government of Wajir, especially because of the numbers that have been overwhelming in the recent past, to respond to the outbreak and provide technical support,” said PS Muthoni.
Why the Ministry of Health is working with development partners
She disclosed that her ministry already has numbers of medical personnel in Wajir County and Marsabit County to support the teams on the ground.
“Commodities for laboratory, diagnosis and medicines are also being provided. We have joined forces with development partners who have been able to assist us with drugs and other commodities,” added the PS.
She further revealed that the National Treasury has equally released some funding that is going to help the Ministry of Health to add the commodities that will be supplied to the affected counties.
“We have three mobile laboratories that we are flagging off, and these will provide outreach services in the three most affected sub-counties to support active cases finding and diagnose the cases early,” explained PS Muthoni.
In response to the visceral leishmaniasis (kala-azar) outbreak in Kenya, @WHO, through its Nairobi Emergency Hub, has delivered critical medical supplies. These include rapid diagnostic tests to screen at least 250 people, and serological pipettes to support @MOH_Kenya in
The aid from the national government comes at a time when the Wajir county government has acknowledged it is overwhelmed by the many cases being reported.
The mobile laboratories will be instrumental in enhancing early detection, as most of the patients were being taken to health facilities when the situation was almost dire.
How Wajir County is dealing with the Kala-azar outbreak
Also, the Wajir county executive committee member for health, Habiba Ali, had last week admitted to serious challenges that included a shortage of wards to cater for the rising numbers.
“Most of the patients are coming to the referral hospital because we have few test kits. The test kits are not locally available; there are only a few. So, instead of distributing to other areas, we decided that we take in the patients who are severely ill to Wajir County Referral Hospital so that we can be able to maximise on the use of the test kits,” explained Habiba.
The Ministry of Health has stepped up its response to the Kala-azar disease ravaging the North Eastern county of Wajir.
Following the Kala-azar outbreak in the region, Habiba observed that most of the patients are coming with low plate lates.
“So, if we could have sufficient storage of platelets in our satellite blood bank, we could be able to save lives. I call this Kala-azar a pandemic because of its severity. In 2017, we had 1,500 cases, but the severity was not as it is now. So, we also need more support to come in. We have written proposals; we have talked to well-wishers to come and support us, and I am sure there is more support in the pipeline,” said Habiba.
𝐌𝐢𝐧𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐲 𝐨𝐟 𝐇𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐭𝐡 𝐃𝐞𝐩𝐥𝐨𝐲𝐬 𝐄𝐦𝐞𝐫𝐠𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐲 𝐑𝐞𝐬𝐩𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐢𝐧 𝐊𝐚𝐥𝐚-𝐚𝐳𝐚𝐫 𝐎𝐮𝐭𝐛𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐤The Ministry of Health, through the State Department for Public Health and Professional Standards, has launched an emergency response to
Meanwhile, PS Muthoni also said the government is keen to have the outbreak dealt with to arrest a spread to other regions that are prone, such as the Rift Valley.
“The disease is endemic in 80 countries around the world. In 2022, Eastern Africa accounted for 73% of the global Kala-azar cases, half of which occurred in children under 15 years. The majority of the cases are children between 5 and 14 years old in the last three years. Over 3,200 cases have been diagnosed and treated,” she explained.
What are the symptoms of the deadly Kala-azar Disease
According to PS Muthoni, it is important that while a patient is being attended to at the health facility, they will have registered with the Social Health Authority (SHA) to ensure seamless treatment taking place without any delays.
“As of now, 106 patients have been hospitalised in Wajir County, overwhelming local health services, and health officials are facing challenges in managing the situation, which began in September 2024, prompting the counties to request support from the national government,” said the PS.
The Ministry of Health has launched an emergency response to contain the Kala-azar outbreak in Wajir and Marsabit counties, where 617 cases have been reported. To strengthen containment efforts, we have today flagged off three mobile laboratories equipped with molecular testing
Over the past three months, PS Muthoni disclosed that the disease has claimed the lives of over 25 individuals, with over 600 people reported to be infected.
“The outbreak has spread across four sub-counties in Wajir and Marsabit counties. Medical personnel have confirmed 617 cases so far, with most patients recovering after treatment,” added PS Muthoni.
The leishmania parasite causes Kala-azar, and if left untreated, it is fatal in over 95% of the cases.
The symptoms of Kala-azar include weight loss, prolonged fever, diarrhea and digestive tract problems, fatigue, anaemia, darkening of the skin, swollen lymph nodes, and enlarged spleen and liver.
