MOH faces malaria funding crisis as international donors withdraw support

KAMPALA, Uganda | Xinhua | Uganda’s Ministry of Health said Friday that international donors have significantly cut funding to malaria projects in the country over global crises including conflicts and climate change.

Jimmy Opigo, head of the National Malaria Control Division at the Ministry of Health, told reporters in Kampala, the capital of Uganda, that the withdrawal of external funding will have adverse effects on malaria control and treatment costs in the East African country.

“The cost of malaria control in public health has been 95 percent donor-dependent. The funding has been allocated to mosquito nets for prevention, residual indoor spraying, test kits for malaria, and first and second-line malaria treatment in both the private and public sectors, which the donors have been subsidizing,” said Opigo.

Minister of Health Ruth Aceng told a parliamentary committee Wednesday that the donors are turning their focus on global issues like conflicts in Ukraine and Gaza as well as climate change activities.

Aceng also raised concerns about Uganda’s heavy reliance on donor funding for the health sector, revealing that 85 percent of the country’s health budget for the financial year 2024/2025 is externally funded.

According to the World Health Organization, Uganda has one of the highest malaria incidence rates in the world, accounting for about 5 percent of all cases worldwide.

According to statistics from the Ministry of Health, out of every 10 sick people in Uganda, three have malaria. Among children under five years of age admitted to hospitals, six out of 10 have malaria and face the risk of death. Additionally, out of every 100 pregnant women, 20 have malaria, putting both their lives and the lives of their babies at risk.