Kenya Reports Over 2,200 Kala-Azar Cases as Health Crisis Spreads Across 12 Counties
Nairobi, 31 January 2026
A deadly parasitic disease transmitted by sandfly bites has infected more than 2,200 people across Kenya in the past year, with Turkana County alone recording over 400 cases. Kala-azar, also known as visceral leishmaniasis, proves fatal in up to 95% of untreated cases but has a 98% survival rate when detected early. The outbreak disproportionately affects vulnerable populations in remote northern regions, where patients often arrive severely malnourished and requiring blood transfusions before treatment can begin. Health authorities are implementing emergency measures including mobile laboratories and enhanced surveillance systems to combat the crisis.
Turkana Bears Heaviest Burden as Disease Spreads
Turkana County has emerged as the epicentre of the current outbreak, reporting over 400 cases of kala-azar in the past year [1][2]. The disease has spread across 12 endemic counties in Kenya, including Baringo, Kajiado, Samburu, West Pokot, Isiolo, Kitui, Garissa, Mandera, Wajir, Marsabit, and Tharaka-Nithi [1]. Wajir County has recorded over 500 cases in 2025, highlighting the severity of the outbreak in northern Kenya [3]. The disease particularly affects communities where people sleep outdoors, increasing their exposure to sandfly bites that transmit the Leishmania protozoa [2].
Treatment Challenges and Emergency Response
Many patients arrive at health facilities severely malnourished and require blood transfusions before treatment can begin [1][2]. According to Amref Kenya, ‘delay is deadly’ as the organisation emphasises that whilst kala-azar is treatable, late detection significantly increases mortality risk [1]. The government has responded by deploying mobile laboratories, expanding treatment supplies, training health workers, and conducting fumigation and public health outreach programmes [3]. Treatment efforts face additional constraints from shortages of blood for transfusion, limited access to nutrition supplements for malnourished patients, and delays in reaching frontline healthcare services [2].
International Support Bolsters Fight Against Disease
On 29 January 2026, The Leona M. and Harry B. Helmsley Charitable Trust provided a two-year emergency grant of $1.375 million to the END Fund to support visceral leishmaniasis programmes across nine eastern African countries, including Kenya [7]. This funding will ensure diagnostic equipment for approximately 68,000 people and treatments for more than 32,000 people [7]. East Africa bears 73% of the global burden of visceral leishmaniasis, with children under 15 making up over 65% of infections [7]. Without treatment, symptomatic visceral leishmaniasis has a fatality rate of up to 95%, but with treatment, the survival rate exceeds 98% [7].
Long-term Elimination Strategies and Progress
Kenya operates under a National Strategic Plan for Control of Leishmaniasis 2021–2025 and has developed a National Master Plan 2023-2027 to guide efforts to end neglected tropical diseases [3][6]. The National Programme for Eliminating Visceral Leishmaniasis targets five million people at risk across the 12 affected counties, focusing on rapid case detection, comprehensive patient care, and strengthened supply chains [1]. Amref Health Africa, which runs programmes in 23 counties, has demonstrated success in reducing intestinal worm prevalence from 15% to 3% in four counties during 2025 through community health promoters [6]. The organisation works to integrate neglected tropical disease interventions into primary healthcare, aligning with the WHO NTD Roadmap (2021–2030) and Kenya’s Universal Health Coverage agenda [1].