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Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Rotary Clubs in Uganda have partnered with the Ministry of Health to scale up malaria prevention measures, following a recent surge in cases across the country.
The Malaria upsurge affected close to 70 districts. The most affected districts included Luweero, Kampala, Wakiso, Zombo, Madi Okollo, Apac, Kyotera and Busia among others. According to the Ministry of Health, the National Test Positivity Rate increased by 40 per cent between July 2018 and July 2019.
Rotary clubs will now dedicate time during their weekly fellowships to share messages on Malaria prevention and use their various outreach programmes to talk about malaria, as part of the partnership which was unveiled during a meeting at Imperial Royale Hotel, Kampala. There are over 120 Rotary Clubs in Uganda
Patrick Tumusiime, the Commissioner in Charge of Communicable Diseases and Control says the Ministry is targeting Rotary because of its network and dedication to improved health services. He adds that the Malaria minute will be reinforced by well-planned visits to the clubs by the staff of the Malaria Control Programme and the Health Educators for the case of the districts.
Godfrey Kayitarama, the head of Rotary Presidents in Uganda said that the partnership fits within one of Rotary’s six areas of focus; disease prevention and treatment. Kayitarama says that Rotary Club Presidents have committed to creating awareness about Malaria, mobilize resources to buy mosquito nets for distribution, and support other interventions to eliminate Malaria.
Kenneth Wycliffe Mugisha, the Past Rotary 9211 District Governor who represented the current District Governor Francis Xavier Sentamu in the meeting said that Rotarians, through Rotarian Malaria Partners Uganda, were already on the ground to eliminate the disease. Mugisha said that many people have already benefited in grants extended to clubs to fight the disease.
Mugisha added that the involvement of Rotarians as ambassadors will definitely help to eliminate the disease in the same way the world is defeating Polio. Rotary International has been on the forefront to eradicate Polio through the Global Polio Eradication Initiative, a public-private global effort made up of national governments, partners including the World Health Organization, Rotary International, the US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, UNICEF, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and a broad range of long-term supporters.
On October 24, an independent commission of experts announced that wild poliovirus type 3 had been eradicated across the world. The represented a historic achievement for humanity Following the eradication of smallpox and wild poliovirus type 2.
Rotary Uganda is part of the global network of 1.2 million members who see a world where people unite and take action to create lasting change in our communities.
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