Uganda joined the rest of the world on April 25 in commemorating this year’s World Malaria Day at a national event held at Kaunda Grounds in Gulu City under the theme “Eliminate Malaria Now.”
The event was presided over by the minister of Health, Dr Jane Ruth Aceng, who delivered an impassioned call for greater community involvement in the fight against malaria. Despite the government’s efforts, such as the distribution of long-lasting insecticidal nets, expanded diagnosis and treatment, implementation of indoor residual spraying in high-burden districts, and the recently introduced malaria vaccine, malaria continues to be a leading cause of illness and death in Uganda.
In 2023 alone, the country recorded over 16 million cases and 2,793 deaths, most of them among children under five.
Against this backdrop, Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) led by Pilgrim Africa, a faith based organization focused on building sustainable health and prosperity in Uganda through public health and education raised a vital concern; while Uganda has made impressive progress in malaria control, schools where 75 per cent of Uganda’s population spends much of their time have remained an overlooked front line.
According to the organization, they have observed troubling realities of congested dormitories, stacked decker beds and open-air prep lessons during high-risk mosquito hours which expose thousands of students to malaria every day.
These realities dent the efficacy of strategies such as the use of mosquito nets as a tool in the malaria fight. Recognizing this gap, Pilgrim Africa in partnership with the ministry of Health initiated the “School Malaria Project” where they hope to protect 22,000 children against malaria this year through a focused Indoor Residual Spraying (IRS) campaign which aims to turn school environment (classrooms and dormitories) into safe, malaria-free havens for the young generation.
So far, schools in Soroti, Jinja, Serere, and Katakwi districts have already benefited from the upcoming activities planned for Amuria district.
“We are using Actellic 300CS, a World Health Organisation-approved, highly effective insecticide manufactured by Syngenta. We are bringing protection directly where it is needed most; the schools. But the work goes beyond spraying walls, we have also introduced student-led malaria ambassador programs involving poems, skits and plays which are cultivating a new generation of health champions who will carry the fight into their communities,” said Wycliff Odude, Pilgrim Africa’s programs coordinator.
In her speech, Aceng urged the people of northern Uganda to recognize malaria as a serious threat, particularly to vulnerable groups such as children, pregnant women and other at-risk populations.
She emphasized the importance of vigilance and proactive malaria prevention measures warning that failure to act decisively could undermine community health and development efforts.
“We have set an ambitious but achievable goal to eliminate malaria by 2035. We are working to maintain malaria-free zones and prevent reintroduction where transmission has been interrupted. Our elimination strategy is evolving, shifting from traditional biomedical approaches to a whole-of-society response that champions six strategic shifts centered on comprehensive, inclusive and community-led action,” Aceng said.
Aceng reechoed that the ongoing malaria vaccination campaign is critical for reducing malaria cases and deaths, urging high immunisation coverage across the country.
“We have rolled out the Malaria Vaccine in 107 districts as part of our routine immunization schedule,” she said.
“This life-saving tool will significantly reduce the burden of severe malaria and deaths among children, our most vulnerable population.”
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