Malaria treatment - Canadian Red Cross ACT pilot project in Kenya

The Canadian Red Cross is a leader in malaria prevention. Since 2003, with the support of the Government of Canada and the Canadian public, the Canadian Red Cross has helped distribute over six million insecticide-treated bed nets in Africa. These nets are one of the best ways to prevent malaria, which sadly, claims the lives of 3,000 children there each day.

While bed nets help prevent malaria, which saves lives, nets alone cannot prevent all cases of malaria. The Canadian Red Cross is now leading the way in malaria treatment through a home-based treatment project in Kenya. This pilot project aims to determine the best, most effective strategies to ensure fast access to life-saving drugs so children who fall ill with malaria can be cured.

The project is a partnership with the Canadian Red Cross, Kenyan Red Cross, the Kenyan Ministry of Health and the World Health Organization. This partnership, along with $1.2 million in funding from Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) and from private donors to the Canadian Red Cross will allow local trained volunteers to provide life-saving artemisinin combination therapy (ACT) drugs to remote communities with poor access to health services. This drug combination is the most effective life-saving treatment for those who have contracted malaria.

While the drugs are currently available in Kenya, timely access to the medication is not always possible, especially in rural communities. A child can die from malaria in as little as 24-hours after the first symptoms appear so accessibility is key. The pilot project is currently underway in two districts on Kenya’s east coast, Lamu and Malindi, and will help determine if utilizing trained Red Cross volunteers is an effective solution in the fight against malaria.
Red Cross National Societies have a strong volunteer base rooted at the community level. This allows the Red Cross to play a vital role in bridging the gap for those with little or no access to health services and information. 

This innovative program, if successful, will have applications throughout and beyond Kenya.