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Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Market vendors in Kampala and surrounding areas are set to get malaria preventive medicines or prophylaxis tablets as an additional measure to protect them against malaria. The offer will go to the vendors who are spending nights in the markets as one of the measures to control the spread of coronavirus disease.
According to the Ministry of Health, over 5,000 doses of P-ALAXIN are going to be distributed to vendors in 53 markets across the city. Some of the markets listed for the programme include St Balikuddembe, Nakasero, Nakawa, Usafi, Bugolobi and Busega.
Dr Jimmy Opigo, the head of the Malaria Control Programme says that the initiative is important to protect the lives of the vendors sleeping in markets where they are exposed to malaria-causing mosquitoes
In addition to the prophylaxis tablets, the ministry will also deliver more than 1,000 nets in small markets within and outside Kampala among them; Kasubi, Kibuye, Bwaise, Kibuli Brotherhood and Katwe. To date, the ministry has distributed over 2,000 mosquito nets in markets across Kampala.
Charles Okuni, the chairman of the Nakawa market welcomes the move saying that it might be more effective than the already implemented measures in the market. Nakawa market has so far received more than 500 mosquito nets.
“Nets were distributed but some people did not get. There are complaints that the spraying made things worse in some parts of the market. There seem to be more mosquitoes now. Maybe this one will work,” Okuni said.
According to the health ministry, the move is one of many the health ministry plans to eliminate malaria by 2030 in the country. Data from the Malaria Indicator Survey shows that the prevalence of the disease reduced to 9.2 percent in 2018/2019 from 42 percent.
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