Malaria in Kenya during 2020: malaria indicator survey and suitability mapping for understanding spatial variations in prevalence and risk

Abstract. Despite the availability of effective interventions malaria continues to be a major public health issue in Kenya, where young children and pregnant women are particularly vulnerable. In this study we examined the spatial distribution of malaria incidence and how this relates to the environmental conditions required for malaria in 2020. The Kenya Malaria Indicator Survey (N=11,549) for 2020 was used with the Local Indicators of Spatial Autocorrelation (LISA) method to determine spatial clusters of malaria and assess their significance as well as interventions in use. Climate data was used with a Fuzzy Overlay method to create malaria risk maps. The findings suggest that malaria incidence is not evenly distributed across Kenya, with some regions having higher rates of transmission and others having lower rates. High-rate clusters of malaria and high-risk areas of malaria transmission could benefit from increased vector control measures.