2011 Malindi Mosquito Day

The 9th of April, 2011 was a special day for scientists working at the KEMRI-Wellcome Trust Research Programme and the people of Malindi. It marked the 8th anniversary of their declaration to reduce the number of mosquitoes within Malindi by 2010. They organized under different community groups, under the umbrella, Punguza Mbu Malindi (PUMMA) in order to supplement the efforts of the Kenya government through the Ministry of Health and Sanitation and the Municipal Council of Malindi (MCM) to eliminate mosquitoes in Malindi and thereby improve the health of the people of Malindi.

Mosquito Day was created in 2004 in Malindi. This was about 107 years since the marking of the first World Mosquito Day on 20th August, 1897 which also marked a world changing discovery made by Sir Ronald Ross, a British doctor working in India who first made the link that female mosquitoes transmit malaria between humans. On unearthing this breakthrough, Dr Ross declared that this day be known as World Mosquito Day. Dr Ross went on to become the first British person to be awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for medicine in 1902.

Dr Ross' discovery laid the foundations for scientists to better understand the deadly role of mosquitoes which currently infect millions of people with malaria every year, causing over one million deaths. 114 years later, the fight against malaria is still on.

Today, scientists remain at the forefront of the fight against malaria, developing cutting edge research and development techniques through leading research units such as KEMRI, ICIPE and others.

Tackling the disease progress is palpable and a number of African countries including Ethiopia, Eritrea and Rwanda have reduced malaria deaths by at least 50% in recent years. A further 11 African countries including Egypt and Botwana are approaching elimination and in June 2010, Morocco in North Africa was declared malaria free.

''Mosquito Day is an important opportunity to raise awareness of the dangers of malaria, which kills more than one million people every year, all entirely preventable. It is a time to remind the public about the continuing threat of malaria and other diseases transmitted by mosquitoes. Unfortunately, it's not a day to celebrate yet, instead it's an awareness day.  We hope one day we can together bite malaria back, '' says Dr Charles Mbogo, the Head of the Vector Biology Group at the KEMRI-Wellcome Trust Research Programme.

A range of malaria prevention, diagnosis and treatment techniques are needed to ensure this progress continues with the replacement of mosquito nets, malaria testing and medicine.

The Chief Executive Officer of KeNAAM (Kenya NGOs against Malaria) was the Chief Guest at the Malindi Mosquito Day. He underscored his NGO's commitment to advocating for increased resources to implement health promotion activities towards a malaria free Kenya.