Govt to distribute 28 million mosquito nets

The country yesterday commemorated World Malaria Day amid calls by lawmakers and health experts for new strategies to fight the disease.
At the national celebration held in Bugiri District, the Health ministry launched another round of mosquito nets distribution to prevent the disease.
“The 4th mosquito net campaign has been launched as Uganda marks World Malaria Day. Under this campaign, 28.5 million mosquito nets will be distributed countrywide. 17 districts will receive nets under the 1st wave; as they are experiencing a malaria epidemic,” the ministry said in a statement.
Mr Thomas Tayebwa, the Deputy Speaker of Parliament, said the country loses Shs2.4 trillion annually due to malaria, a disease which he said also kills 52 people daily in Uganda. 
The monetary loss is mainly due to treatment costs and work time lost while undergoing treatment and recovering from the illness. Attendants of patients also lose work time. 

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Dr Catherine Maiteki, the deputy manager for the Malaria Control Programme at the Health ministry, said the country will, in addition to strategies such as the use of bed nets, introduce the malaria vaccine next year.
Dr Maiteki said 1 million doses of malaria vaccines will be funded by Global Vaccine Alliance (Gavi) for the country’s first round of malaria vaccination. The vaccine is codenamed RTS,S. 
“Malaria is responsible for over 40 percent of visits at health facilities and 30 percent of admissions in the country.  The disease also accounts for 20 percent of deaths in facilities,” she said.
Dr Maiteki also noted that Uganda is ranked 3rd in Africa in terms of malaria disease burden, right behind Nigeria and DR Congo. “In terms of deaths, we stand in number 5 globally. Malaria is responsible for poverty in the country. Not only one member is affected, but families will also have to sell goats or land for treatment and by the time they sell, the patient is severely ill [and may die],” she added.
The government revealed that Karamoja, West Nile, Busoga, Acholi and Lango sub-regions are some of the most affected areas. 
“Prevention is our mainstay, but we also treat. We have been giving mosquito bed nets in mass campaigns,” Dr Maiteki said.
Malaria burden
The disease burden has remained high in the country despite more than Shs596 billion, which the Health minister, Dr Jane Ruth Aceng, said is spent annually to fight the disease.
“We need to focus more resources and energies towards health promotion and disease prevention, especially the malaria programme. The government spends on average more than $160m (Shs598b) annually on malaria. This comes from the government and various partners,” Dr Aceng said.
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