A kala-azar outbreak in Wajir County has killed nine people and infected over 500 since September 2024, with the majority of cases reported in Eldas, Wajir West, and Wajir East. The county has launched a 10-day fumigation operation targeting 6,000 households to reduce sandfly populations, the vectors responsible for transmission.
Local health facilities are overwhelmed, with patients being redirected to Makoror Hospital and sub-county clinics due to limited capacity at Wajir Referral Hospital. Authorities cite delayed test results, inadequate supplies, and poor infrastructure as major barriers to effective response.
