NAIROBI, Kenya, May 27 – President Mwai Kibaki on Friday received the African Leaders Malaria Alliance (ALMA) Award conferred to the Government of Kenya in recognition of exemplary progress made in malaria control by the Kenyan government.
Kenya was conferred the award for specific efforts in malaria control made by the government particularly removal of tariffs on all essential malaria commodities and banning of monotherapies.
The Government of Kenya was recognised in the forum attended by the Minister for Public Health Beth Mugo early this year during the sidelines of the African Union Summit in Addis Ababa.
ALMA is an alliance for Africa Heads of State and Government against malaria which was formed to galvanise political will towards the attainment of the Abuja targets for Malaria control.
The awards were conferred by UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon and the African Union Chairperson Jean Ping.
The African Summit on Roll Back Malaria was held in Abuja, Nigeria on April 25th in which the Heads of State called upon all countries to undertake and continue health systems reforms which would promote community participation and joint ownership of Roll Back Malaria actions to enhance their sustainability.
The Summit also agreed that health systems should make diagnosis and treatment of malaria available to as remote areas as possible, including home treatment, and accessible to the poorest groups in the community.
African countries committed to continue to maximize vigilance so as to prevent the re-emergence of malaria.
In attendance were Public Health Minister Beth Mugo and other senior government officials.
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