NAIROBI, Feb. 26 -- KENYAs hospitals are grappling with a double burden of disease, as infectious illnesses persist while non-communicable diseases (NCDs) rise sharply, stretching an already fragile health system.

In public wards, children admitted with malaria or pneumonia lie alongside patients recovering from stroke or managing diabetes and cancer-conditions once considered rare but now increasingly common.

NCDs, including heart disease, diabetes, cancer and mental health disorders, account for nearly 40 per cent of all deaths in Kenya, according to the 2025 Population Situation Analysis Report. Yet infectious diseases such as malaria, tuberculosis and HIV remain widespread.

Health experts say the country is being forced to fight ol...