Kala-azar outbreak: Wajir faces shortage of medical supplies

By Daisy Okiring

Health officials in Wajir County are raising alarm over a worsening outbreak of Kala-azar, as a severe shortage of essential testing kits and medication hampers efforts to contain the deadly disease.

As of March 20, 2025, the county has recorded over 500 confirmed infections and at least eight fatalities, prompting urgent calls for increased medical intervention and supplies.

The parasitic disease, also known as visceral leishmaniasis, is caused by the Leishmania parasite and transmitted through the bite of infected sandflies. If left untreated, Kala-azar can be fatal in up to 95% of cases, making it the second deadliest parasitic disease after malaria.

Doctors Without Borders (MSF), which is actively responding on the ground, has flagged the situation as critical.

“Kala-azar, a neglected tropical disease, is often overlooked—resulting in a dire shortage of both diagnostic and therapeutic resources,” MSF said in a statement.

Warning on the disease

The humanitarian medical organization warned that the lack of adequate testing kits is delaying diagnoses, while insufficient medication stocks are leaving hundreds without timely treatment.

In response to the crisis, MSF has partnered with local health authorities to establish temporary treatment wards across Wajir. These makeshift facilities are aimed at accelerating patient care and ensuring that proper infection control protocols are followed.

While the collaboration has provided short-term relief, aid workers and medical professionals stress that the shortage of medical supplies continues to pose a major obstacle in the fight against the disease.

The outbreak has once again highlighted the vulnerability of arid and semi-arid counties like Wajir to neglected tropical diseases (NTDs), and the pressing need for sustainable health system support in underserved regions.