KENYA — SC Johnson, a consumer goods company, has recently announced its new public-private partnership with the government of Kenya to combat malaria.
This initiative builds on the company’s decade-long efforts to develop and distribute low-cost, long-lasting spatial repellent products that work alongside widely-used interventions like mosquito nets and residual spraying.
SC Johnson and Kenya, in collaboration with global public health partners, will provide at-risk populations with the company’s two innovative spatial repellents, Mosquito Shield and Guardian, at no cost.
This initiative is based on statistics from the Kenyan Ministry of Health, which shows that the country has been able to reduce the burden of malaria by at least 50 percent over the last decade.
From a prevalence rate of 11 percent in 2010, the prevalence rate has dropped to six percent in 2020, which is a significant achievement.
However, progress has been slowing down, and it is vital to implement new measures to combat the disease.
Since 2018, SC Johnson has established 70 clinics globally, including in Rwanda, South Sudan, and Indonesia, serving over one million people annually.
The company is also in the process of obtaining World Health Organization policy recommendations for the two tools, which would accelerate critical partnerships and funding for large-scale distribution efforts.
SC Johnson has committed over US$10 million to advance the distribution of spatial repellents, fund malaria prevention education, and build new health clinics in rural Kenyan communities.
The new community health clinics that SC Johnson has committed to building in Kenya will play a significant role in addressing not only malaria but also other health issues such as HIV/AIDS, family planning, nutrition, and access to clean water.
The Nairobi facility will also provide new manufacturing capacity, with a goal of producing enough supply of spatial repellents to reach 17 million people in East Africa annually.
Moreover, SC Johnson’s investment includes US$1 million to partner with End Malaria Council Kenya to develop malaria prevention education programs and distribute Mosquito Shield and Guardian spatial repellents through community health workers and clinics.
The investment will also go into building new community health clinics in some of the country’s rural, most hard-to-reach areas.
This investment will go a long way in helping to reduce the burden of malaria and improve the overall health of the communities.
In a statement, His Excellency William Samoei Ruto expressed his commitment to building resilient healthcare systems and attaining a healthier and safer country and region free from malaria.
He emphasized the need for new investments, strategic partnerships across different sectors, and innovative technologies to scale up disease prevention, surveillance, early detection, and warning systems.
The SC Johnson-Kenya partnership marks an important milestone in the ongoing fight against malaria.
This partnership comes at a time when additional momentum is needed to tackle this global health challenge, which has affected millions of people, particularly in the East African region.
Insecticide resistance, increasing populations, and plateauing levels of funding have resulted in stalling malaria efforts in various countries, disrupting health programs, and putting further strain on the fight against malaria, hindering the progress made so far.
“This new partnership between SC Johnson and the Government of Kenya is an important next phase in our continuing efforts to help eradicate malaria,” said Dr. Fisk Johnson, the Chairman and CEO of SC Johnson.
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