Malaria in Kenya
Charity Njuki holds her recently recovered son, Eric, outside their home in the village of Thangathi, in Kenya’s central highlands. When I was growing up, we never heard of malaria, she said. (Evelyn Hockstein / For The Times)
Dr. Margaret Gichuki examines a boy while his mother looks on at Thangathi’s government clinic. Because the village has had little experience with malaria, treatment is often based on trial and error. (Evelyn Hockstein / For The Times)
Joyce Mwagi distributes the anti-malaria drug Coartem at the Thangathi clinic. A dose easily cures the disease, but many people are unfamiliar with the drug and wait too long to begin treatment. (Evelyn Hockstein / For The Times)
Charity Njuki, holding son Eric, thinks this water tank the family built about 10 years ago may be a breeding site for disease-carrying mosquitoes. But there are no plans to move the tank or spray around it. (Evelyn Hockstein / For The Times)
Advertisement
The government clinic in Thangathi has seen a steady rise in malaria cases, though clinic officials are uncertain of the exact number because they lack a simple blood test that confirms the disease. The test is available at a private clinic nearby, but most villagers cant afford the 70-cent cost. (Evelyn Hockstein / For The Times)
