Florence Awino a primary school head teacher in Otuke district Lango Sub-region in Northern Uganda said her normal duties of administering the school and teaching together with her four-year-old son were championing a campaign in Northern and Eastern Uganda on Malaria prevention. “Dear parents, do mind about us? We need school fees, we need medical care, and together we control Malaria.” “We used to experience poor attendance in schools up to around 40% only.”

Malaria is one of the top killer diseases in the country, for over ten years now, the Uganda government and development partners including USAID from the United States of America and the DFID of the United Kingdom had been funding the indoor residual spraying of mosquitoes and distributing mosquito nets in 14 districts of Uganda to help prevent Malaria. The World Health Organization Malaria Report of 2013 estimated that 17,000 Ugandans died of Malaria-related causes every year.

But due to indoor residual spraying especially in the endemic districts, the deaths from Malaria had drastically reduced. “That the prevalence of Malaria has dropped from 49% to 19% in 2014.” Said, Jennie Barugh – DFID Head of Mission. “Approximately 1 million children and more than 100,000 pregnant women have been protected from Malaria.” Said, Colette Marcellin – US Deputy Chief of Mission.
DFID spent 47 million Pounds approximately 228 billion Uganda shillings while USAID put in 38 million US Dollars which was about 138 billion Uganda shillings. But the second phase of indoor residual spraying of mosquitoes had been halted until December when it expected to resume. “And so it is clear that this program has had a significant impact in reducing about the Malaria of which we are proud of that.”

Addressing the journalists after the meeting in Kampala, the Head of the Malaria Control in the Ministry of Health Dr. Jimmy Opigo who represented the Minister Dr. Jane Aceng, revealed that Uganda had a shortage of 4 million mosquito nets. “We experience a net gap close to 4 million nets.” But he added that the Ministry was working to close the gap. “With partners and donors, we have managed to mobilize resources for these nets, they are procured, they are manufactured, they are being shipped, and the final announcement of dates is really not mine.” Said, Dr. Jimmy Opigo – Head National Malaria Control Program.

The government and its development partners distributed millions of mosquito nets in a campaign to boost the Malaria prevention. The US government urged the government of Uganda to increase funding to fight Malaria to ensure sustainability. “So the government of Uganda must increase its funding for Malaria and make a positive shift towards independence from donor support.”