The Independent Uganda: You get the Truth we Pay the Price
Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | President Yoweri Museveni has castigated laziness in the Ministry of Health, that has seen them focus on ‘conservation’ and not elimination of malaria.
“Why then do we have this malaria conservation programme? We can eliminate it. We have been able to eliminate 13 diseases. Polio, small pox, and others. The problem is laziness especially by the Ministry of Health,” Museveni said Thursday at the launch of the “Kick Malaria Out of Uganda” campaign at Parliament.
He said he agreed with the idea of creating a fund to fight malaria. “If you raise funds from private sector, the government can contribute. We could fund scientists to deepen their research. It should aim at eliminating the mosquito,” he said.
“To eliminate malaria, it needs more effort than vaccination. We need to kill the mosquito, how? By using treated bed nets, through residual indoor spraying every six months and outdoor spraying, although there were some controversial issues. We can do the non-controversial things. When I bought my farm in Kisozi, mosquitoes were many, but I used to spray dicatex which killed both ticks and mosquitoes.”
He also thanked the development partners who have contributed to the malaria fight, like the US and UK governments, the World Health Organisation and the Global Fund. The US gave Uganda millions of nets.
” If we spend sh400 billion on treating malaria every year, why not spend sh350 billion instead on eliminating mosquitoes,” Musevei told Health Minister Ruch Aceng.
Well done @CharlieCW for playing a vital role in the launch of a new strategy for malaria prevention in Uganda ?? #fightmalaria #MalariaMustDie pic.twitter.com/ePXEkyBx1e
— Fight Malaria (@fightmalaria) April 6, 2018
He argued that if sh350 billion is needed to fight the mosquitoes in order to eliminate them, it is as much as sh400 billion that is spend on treatment.
“Once we concentrate on something and we calculate the cost benefit, then we can do it. Shs350 billion is not too much, if it is what we need to eliminate malaria.”
He asked the Parliamentary forum to focus on which method is best to eliminate mosquitoes and malaria.
