We're loading the full news article for you. This includes the article content, images, author information, and related articles.
Cases of the deadly parasitic disease Kala-azar have doubled in Kenya to over 3,500, spreading to 12 counties as experts blame climate change and misdiagnosis for the rising death toll.

In the dusty, sun-scorched expanses of Northern Kenya, a silent killer is on the prowl. Health experts have sounded a code-red alarm as cases of Kala-azar, a neglected but deadly tropical disease, have more than doubled in a year, catching authorities flat-footed.
This is not just a statistical spike; it is a humanitarian catastrophe in the making. Data obtained from the Ministry of Health reveals a terrifying trajectory: confirmed cases have rocketed from 1,575 in 2024 to a staggering 3,577 in 2025. The parasitic scourge, transmitted by the bite of the humble sandfly, has now breached its traditional containment lines, spreading to 12 counties and covering nearly 60 percent of Kenya’s landmass.
The human cost of this surge is visceral and heartbreaking. Take the case of Harada Hussein Abdirahman, a 60-year-old grandmother from Mandera. For nearly a year, she wasted away, her body wracked by fever and a swelling spleen, while local pharmacists treated her for malaria and typhoid. By the time she was correctly diagnosed with visceral leishmaniasis—the medical term for Kala-azar—she was at death's door.
"I thought I was dying," Abdirahman told reporters, her voice frail. "It is worse than all the diseases they thought I had." Her story is a damning indictment of a healthcare system in the arid north that is ill-equipped to detect, let alone treat, this "poor man's disease." With a fatality rate of 95 percent if left untreated, Kala-azar is a death sentence for the misdiagnosed.
Dr. Cherinet Adera, a researcher with the Drugs for Neglected Diseases Initiative, warns that the window to contain the outbreak is closing. "Climate change is expanding the range of sandflies and increasing the risk of outbreaks in new areas," he cautioned. The disease attacks the immune system, leaving victims vulnerable to other infections, creating a vicious cycle of mortality.
As the sandflies multiply, the response remains sluggish. With only a handful of treatment centers capable of managing the complex therapy required, thousands of Kenyans in Wajir, Marsabit, and Turkana remain in the crosshairs. The surge is a grim reminder that in the shadow of headline-grabbing epidemics, neglected diseases continue to cull the most vulnerable with ruthless efficiency.
Keep the conversation in one place—threads here stay linked to the story and in the forums.
Sign in to start a discussion
Start a conversation about this story and keep it linked here.
Other hot threads
E-sports and Gaming Community in Kenya
Active 9 months ago
The Role of Technology in Modern Agriculture (AgriTech)
Active 9 months ago
Popular Recreational Activities Across Counties
Active 9 months ago
Investing in Youth Sports Development Programs
Active 9 months ago