The malaria prevalence rate in the country has gradually reduced due to the use of insecticide treated nets (ITNs) and increased awareness through campaigns.

The Kenya Malaria Indicator Survey 2007 report released Tuesday says that 63 per cent of Kenyan households own at least one bed net while 34 per cent of all households own more than one net

The report released by Kenya National Bureau of Statistics Director, Dr Anthony Kilele also indicates that out of every 10 households there were eight ITNs or 12 nets of some other kind.

The report further says that in malaria-endemic areas, 74 per cent of households own at least one net while 39 per cent own more than one.

According to the report 51 per cent of children under 5 years of age slept under a bed net on the night preceding the survey while 39 per cent slept under an ITN.

Dr Kilele said to control malaria, there was a need to redouble efforts to promote the use of ITNs and increase their availability to Kenyans.

He said the survey showed that up to 30 per cent of outpatient attendance and 19 per cent of admissions to health facilities in Kenya were due to malaria.

To combat the disease the Ministry of Health through the National Malaria Control Programme (NMCP) developed the National Malaria Strategy (NMS) covering the period 2001 to 2010.

The main goal of the NMS was to reduce the level of malaria infections and, subsequently deaths by 30 per cent by the year 2006 and to sustain an improved level of control to 2010.

"If various distribution channels are introduced, publicised and advocated for, a majority of households will be convinced to obtain and use nets thus reducing cases of malaria infection," Dr Kilele said.

He added that all stakeholders needed to step up efforts to distribute ITNs through awareness campaigns that seemed to have increased the usage of ITNs by children particularly in endemic areas.

He said there was need to come up with good strategies for increasing ITN usage by pregnant women to reach the 60 per cent target.

"The survey results indicate that areas where two mass net distribution campaigns were conducted reported a higher ITN usage among children under five than areas in which there were no such campaigns," he said.