By Joshua Otieno | April 24, 2026
NAIROBI, KENYA — The Ministry of Health Kenya has announced a major technological breakthrough in the fight against malaria, confirming the country’s complete transition from paper-based reporting to the digital electronic Community Health Information System (eCHIS).
Speaking ahead of World Malaria Day, Principal Secretary for Public Health and Professional Standards Mary Muthoni revealed that, as of 2025, all routine reporting for Seasonal Malaria Chemoprevention (SMC) is now conducted through the digital platform.
“Embracing innovation is key to ending malaria,” Muthoni said. “This digital transition has empowered us with faster course correction and tighter program management.”
The shift marks the end of decades of manual record-keeping, which often resulted in delays and data inconsistencies. With eCHIS, health officials can now track the distribution of preventive medication and monitor infection trends in real time, enabling quicker responses in high-risk regions such as the Lake Basin and coastal areas.
According to the Ministry, the impact of this digital transformation is already evident. National malaria prevalence has declined from 8 percent to 6 percent over the past decade, while malaria-related deaths have dropped by 32 percent.
To strengthen the new system, the Ministry has also rolled out updated diagnostic guidelines and a clinical mentorship toolkit aimed at standardizing care nationwide. These measures are designed to support more than 107,000 Community Health Promoters (CHPs), who are now central to implementing the digital strategy at the grassroots level.
“We are no longer just documenting the disease; we are using data to stay ahead of it,” Muthoni added.
The milestone positions Kenya among leading countries leveraging digital health solutions to combat malaria, as it intensifies efforts to eliminate the disease through data-driven interventions.
