CLIMATE RISK MANAGEMENT FOR MALARIA CONTROL IN KENYA: THE CASE OF THE WESTERN HIGHLANDS

The report examines the re-emergence of malaria in the western Kenyan highlands, driven by a combination of rising temperatures, rainfall patterns, and socio-economic factors. It finds that the population's vulnerability is very high due to low immunity, high poverty, and limited adaptive capacity at the local level. The document recommends strengthening the health system, improving early-warning systems for epidemics, and enhancing cross-sectoral collaboration between health, climate, and disaster management agencies.

• Malaria is the primary cause of disease and mortality in Kenya, and it is re-emerging in the western highlands due to a combination of climate and non-climate factors, specifically unusually high temperatures, rainfall, and humidity.
• The population of the western Kenyan highlands is highly vulnerable to malaria epidemics because of increasing exposure, high sensitivity, and low adaptive capacity at district and community levels.
• Climate change is projected to increase temperatures across Kenya, with mean annual temperatures expected to rise by 1.0°C to 3.5°C by 2046 to 2065, though rainfall projections remain uncertain.
• Socio-economic and land-use changes, such as deforestation and the creation of man-made habitats like brick-making pits and cultivated swamps, have increased exposure to malaria by creating mosquito breeding sites.
• Population sensitivity is exacerbated by low immunity in highland areas, where case fatality rates during epidemics can be up to 10 times higher than in regions where malaria is endemic.
• Adaptive capacity is limited by a top-down policy approach, inadequate funding, and an inequitable healthcare system where only 30% of the health care budget was allocated to rural areas in 2007 despite 70% of the population living there.
• Stakeholders identified five priority actions for malaria control: strengthening the health system, improving epidemic prediction through early-warning systems, developing targeted local interventions, increasing community awareness, and strengthening cross-sectoral collaboration.

APA

Dekens, J., Parry, J.-E., Zamudio-Trigo, A. N., & Echeverria, D. (2013). CLIMATE RISK MANAGEMENT FOR MALARIA CONTROL IN KENYA: THE CASE OF THE WESTERN HIGHLANDS. International Institute for Sustainable Development. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/crm_kenya.pdf

Chicago

Dekens, Julie, Jo-Ellen Parry, Alicia Natalia Zamudio-Trigo, and Daniella Echeverria. CLIMATE RISK MANAGEMENT FOR MALARIA CONTROL IN KENYA: THE CASE OF THE WESTERN HIGHLANDS. International Institute for Sustainable Development, 2013. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/crm_kenya.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Dekens |first1=Julie |last2=Parry |first2=Jo-Ellen |last3=Zamudio-Trigo |first3=Alicia Natalia |last4=Echeverria |first4=Daniella |title=CLIMATE RISK MANAGEMENT FOR MALARIA CONTROL IN KENYA: THE CASE OF THE WESTERN HIGHLANDS |publisher=International Institute for Sustainable Development |date=January 2013 |url=https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/crm_kenya.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{dekens2013climate, author = {Dekens, Julie and Parry, Jo-Ellen and Zamudio-Trigo, Alicia Natalia and Echeverria, Daniella}, title = {{CLIMATE RISK MANAGEMENT FOR MALARIA CONTROL IN KENYA: THE CASE OF THE WESTERN HIGHLANDS}}, institution = {International Institute for Sustainable Development}, year = {2013}, month = jan, url = {https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/crm_kenya.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }