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{
"id": 98280,
"url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/98280/?format=api",
"text_counter": 343,
"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Mrs. Odhiambo-Mabona",
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"speaker": {
"id": 376,
"legal_name": "Millie Grace Akoth Odhiambo Mabona",
"slug": "millie-odhiambo-mabona"
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"content": "Thank you, Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, for giving me this opportunity. I want to agree with Mr. Shakeel that the hon. Member has done a good thing by bringing the issue of malaria to the national radar. This is because malaria is a killer disease. In this country it, probably, contributes to the highest incidents of death in the country. According to a research that was done by UNICEF, 279 children under five years old die in Kenya every day. A third of these children are from Nyanza Province. One in 13 children born alive die before their fifth birthday. In Nyanza, one in seven children born alive die before their fifth birthday. This translates to a child dying every 90 minutes in Nyanza Province. If you look at child mortality rate, you will find that Nyanza Province is the highest followed by Western and Rift Valley provinces. If you look at the statistics for the provinces, you will realise that Nyanza accounts for 33.3 per cent of the child mortality rate in the country. Western Province accounts for 24 per cent while Rift Valley Province accounts for 20.5 per cent. One of the leading causes of these cases of child mortality is malaria. I come from Suba which has the highest incident of child mortality rate in the country. Malaria has been noted as the leading cause of child mortality in that constituency. According to a research that was done, malaria contributes to between 42 per cent and 48 per cent of all the cases that were presented to the hospitals. The highest incidence of child mortality is in July. This means that it has got something to do with the weather. That is why I noted that the Bill is very narrow in terms of the issues that it seeks to address in relation to malaria. This is because it takes an approach that looks at stagnant water and does not look at other contributing facts for malaria. Even if you look at the most common methods of prevention that were being used in areas like Suba, for example, the use of mosquito nets, pyrethrum-based coils, insecticidal sprays and smoke from plants, you will find that they are traditionally associated with mosquito repellants. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, malaria does not only affect children. It also affects women. If you look at our maternal mortality rates in the country--- According to a research done by UNICEF, in Kenya, we have 488 deaths per 100,000 live births and 18 women die every day during child birth. Many of these women die because of pregnancy-related complications. If you compare Kenya to a country like the United Kingdom (UK), for instance, you will find that the women who die as a result of pregnancy-related complications, in Kenya, it is one in every 20 births as opposed to the UK which is one in every 8,200 births. Again, one of the leading causes of these deaths other than the complications is malaria. That is why I agree with the hon. Member that we must do something urgently to deal with the issue of malaria. I wish we could also do something in relation to complications as a consequence of pregnancy. That is why I still support the proposed Constitution that protects life and does not take it away. If you look at this Bill, you will note that a lot more needs to be done. I encourage the hon. Member to look at the issues that the hon. Members have raised in terms of the causes and preventive methods of malaria. He will then either present a more comprehensive Bill or an amendment to the existing Malaria Act. Otherwise, I think this is a very noble initiative that should be supported. However, whether this Bill passes in the present form or in an amended form or through a presentation of a different and more comprehensive Bill, some of the things that we need to look at are in relation to Article 5. The Board of the Institute must have a gender balance and must show the face of Kenya. People have addressed themselves to the issue of why it should be in Kerio Valley. If you look at the national prevalence rate, Nyanza leads followed by Western, Coast and I think Rift Valley Province. The concern the hon. Member is raising is that many people are dying in Kerio Valley. Perhaps, one of the things that needs to be done is to provide another institute in that area to deal with specific challenges being faced there. However, we need to look at some of things that are going on. For instance, we have the Kenya Medical Research Institute (KEMRI) in Kisumu. Let us also look at what the International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology (ICIPE) does with insect research especially in relation to malaria. After we have done that, there will be need for a more comprehensive Bill. In relation to Article 26, we need to rethink about the powers we are giving to the health official. We have given him a lot of power that can be abused if we are not careful. Otherwise, I will end my contribution by saying that the idea of this Bill is very good, but I think it should come in a different form. Thank you, Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir."
}