By Jeremy Clarke

NAIROBI, Aug 16 (Reuters) - The U.N. World Health Organisation (WHO) praised Kenya on Thursday for its efforts to combat malaria, Africa's biggest killer, calling its mosquito net handouts a model for African governments.

Kenya and WHO began distributing 3.4 million free insecticide-treated mosquito nets in September 2006.

"This collaboration between the Government of Kenya, WHO and donors serves as a model that should be replicated throughout Africa," Dr Arata Kochi, director of WHO's Global Malaria Programme, told journalists.

In a report released in conjunction with WHO, the Kenyan government said it had "dramatically reduced" child deaths from malaria by giving free nets to poor rural communities.

The Health Ministry did not give figures to support this claim but said 52 percent of children now slept under nets, compared with 5 percent in 2003.

WHO estimates that in Kenya's high risk areas, children sleeping under mosquito nets are 44 percent less likely to die from malaria than those sleeping in the open.

"This ... is an affirmation that our investment in scaling up access to malaria control interventions can have an impact on this devastating disease," Health Minister Charity Ngilu told journalists.

Malaria is Kenya's biggest childhood killer, with an estimated 34,000 children under five dying each year. It accounts for 19 percent of all hospital admissions, the ministry says.

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