The Independent Uganda: You get the Truth we Pay the Price
Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | The Parliamentary Forum on Malaria has urged the government to consider using drones to spray insecticide targeting large mosquito breeding grounds.
The legislator’s Led by their chairperson, Dr Timothy Batuwa Lusala, made the call while addressing journalists at Parliament on Tuesday in preparation for the 20 days of malaria advocacy ahead of the World Malaria Day slated for April 25, 2023.
Dr Batuwa explained that the use of back pumps for Indoor Residual Spray – IRS interventions and the use of insecticide-treated nets distributed by the government is not adequately eliminating malaria, thus requiring rethinking remedies that other countries like China have successfully implemented.
Dr Batuwa, who doubles as the Shadow Minister for Health implored the government to invest more in research and use the available entomologists to tackle the burden of mosquitoes in the country.
Peter Mbabazi, an official from the Ministry of Health, noted that malaria is largely associated with poverty which must be conquered if all sectors in the country, like the extractive industry, develop malaria smart initiatives.
Parliament will conduct a malaria walk and medical camp to be held on April 23, 2023, led by the Deputy Speaker, Thomas Tayebwa. The walk aims to bring together stakeholders to show commitment to renewing efforts to eliminate malaria in Uganda.
The legislators on the Forum emphasized that the malaria walk will be held annually to continuously raise awareness and spur commitments to control the disease which is the leading cause of morbidity and mortality in the country claiming at least 54 lives every day.
Particularly, the killer disease is prevalent among children under the age of five who do not have access to good quality health facilities at the community level.
The average economic loss in Uganda due to malaria annually is over USD 500 million approximately 18.885 billion Shillings. In 2021, the World Health Organization -WHO reported 13 million malaria cases in the country and over 19,600 estimated deaths.
In Africa, only two African countries; Algeria and Morocco, have been certified malaria-free by the WHO.
*****
URN
