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Soroti, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Malaria prevalence has shot up in Soroti district, according to the health records. The district recorded 70.6 percent cases of malaria in the last quarter of the 2021/2022 financial year up from 40 percent.
Emmanuel Ekodeu, the Malaria Focal Point Person in Soroti district says that the malaria situation in Soroti is worrying. He notes that the current situation shows that there is an outbreak of malaria in the district, something he notes needs urgent attention.
The statistics show that 27,446 out of 40,218 people who tested for malaria in the period under review tested positive.
Ekodeu says that the most affected persons are pregnant women and children below five years of age. He says that the current scourge is caused by a number of factors including the poor management of the environment.
But Soroti district is not alone in battling increasing cases of malaria. In Kapelebyong, at least 25 out of 300 patients received in the outpatient department, are admitted with malaria every day. Dr. James Eudu, in charge of Kapelebyong HC1V, says that on average, about six children die due to malaria complications.
According to Dr. Wilson Etolu, a Physician at Soroti Regional Referral Hospital, malaria positivity rate stands at between 30 and 40 percent in the hospital. “This means that out of 10 malaria tests done, 4-5 turn out positive for malaria. Among those positive, 20 percent are severe malaria cases”, he said in a text.
The average economic loss in Uganda due to malaria annually is over USD 500 million, approximately UGX. 1.8 trillion according to health experts. In 2020, WHO reported that there were over 30,900 estimated deaths in the country due to malaria.
However, the Ministry of Health in Uganda said in July that malaria will be eliminated from Uganda by 2030. The ministry’s report indicates that the malaria parasite prevalence rate reduced from 42 percent in 2009 to 9 percent in 2019.
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