Malaria cases surge in Uganda

Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | The number of malaria cases in Uganda has risen since January, Health Minister Dr. Jane Ruth Aceng said on Thursday.

Aceng said that of the 11.25 million patients who had visited outpatient departments since the start of the year, roughly 3.15 million had malaria, according to tweets by Ugandan parliament. Nearly 775,000 malaria cases were children under five years old.

Aceng said that the country has achieved a notable reduction in malaria cases over the last decade, adding that the malaria parasite prevalence rate was reduced from 42 percent in 2009 to 9 percent in 2019. The proportion of malaria deaths to total deaths in health facilities has decreased from 18 percent in 2013 to 12 percent in 2019.

Given the recent case increase, the mosquito-transmitted disease remains a serious health problem that continues to stagnate economic growth and social development, the ministry said.

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Xinhua