The fight against Malaria in Kenya has received a major boost in the area of research, as Mount Kenya University students have the rare opportunity to diversify their research skills of the disease in Germany.
According to the University’s Vice Chancellor Prof Deogratius Jaganyi, the program dubbed as Africa meets Bavaria, is aimed at fostering a vibrant research culture among students and contributing to the wider development of the society.
“Malaria has been a huge challenge in Kenya and there is a huge need to address it. We are in collaboration with the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) who have supported by equipping MKU’s laboratories as well as offering opportunity for the university’s post doctorate students to undertake research on Malaria,” Prof Jaganyi reveals.
Among areas that researchers will give a weighty focus is on the impact of Malaria on pregnant women.
The study includes investigating immunity in pregnant women and their fetuses, studying the immune response to malaria during pregnancy, and developing potential vaccines for pregnant women.
Additionally, the research aims to understand the interplay between the malaria parasite and immune responses in pregnancy.
“Our research focus group is the pregnant mothers and we seek to evaluate the level of awareness on how they can prevent Malaria, especially the issue of transmission of the disease from them to their offsprings. We will be undertaking this in the Coast and Kilifi County specifically when Malaria cases are endemic,” stated Dr. Ngara Chome.
The move by the university to invest in research and innovation on Malaria comes at a time the government has issued a stark reminder of the disease’s enduring grip, with the country recording over 5 million malaria cases in 2024.
Data issued by the ministry of health indicates that over 70% of the population remains at risk. Further, the ministry says that Malaria continues to hinder the socio-economic development—keeping children out of school, reducing productivity, and increasing household healthcare costs.
“Encouraging research at the student level cultivates critical thinking, innovation, and evidence-based problem-solving skills. It also equips students to contribute meaningfully to national and global challenges,” stated Prof. Jesse Gitaka.
However, Kenya has made notable headway in its battle against malaria, with national prevalence falling from 8% in 2015 to 6% by 2020. The number of reported cases has dropped from a peak of 9.2 million in 2007 to 5.6 million in 2023. Once responsible for nearly a third of all outpatient consultations, malaria now accounts for just 16%, according to the Ministry of Health.
“Research has become an integral part of the society. A few years we had covid 19 and even today we are facing threats of other diseases, some like Malaria are becoming resistant to current treatments so the research must be carried out continuously,” notes Prof Jesse Gitaka.
The researchers emphasized the need for relentless action to meet the national goal of Malaria elimination by 2030.
MKU has consistently prioritized research development, with structures such as the Directorate of Research and Innovation supporting students and faculty in pursuing scholarly work.
The university’s leadership emphasized that strengthening research output aligns with its vision of becoming a global center of excellence in education, research, and innovation.
