The Role of Community Health Promoters in Combating Malaria in Kenya: The Case of Nyakach Sub-County, Kisumu County

About 250 million malaria cases are reported annually in the world. The disease disproportionately affects warm, humid regions, including many tropical countries such as Kenya. The Kenyan government has implemented measures to control malaria, including the deployment of community health promoters (CHPs). However, little is known about the effectiveness of CHPs in combating malaria cases in highly endemic areas like Nyakach Sub-County and Kisumu County. Specifically, the study assessed the impact of CHPs’ in malaria surveillance. The study was underpinned by the health belief model. A cross-sectional descriptive study design was employed, with a mixed methods approach aimed at collecting both quantitative and qualitative data from households and CHPs in the Sub-County. Cluster sampling was employed for quantitative data collection, while snowball sampling was used for qualitative data, guided by data saturation. Thematic analysis was done for themes and contingency tables developed for categories, while a multiple regression analysis was conducted to determine the relationships among the independent variable (malaria surveillance), the moderating variable (motivation and willingness of CHPs), and the dependent variable (combating malaria cases). Findings reveal that regular visits by CHPs have been effective in identifying potential malaria cases in the community. At p value=0.000, there was a moderate positive relationship between combating of malaria cases and malaria surveillance activities conducted by CHPs (r = 0.507, n=277). The study recommends strengthening existing surveillance approaches used by the CHPs. The study further recommends regular training programs for CHPs to ensure they are well-equipped with the latest techniques and knowledge for effective malaria surveillance.