Malaria-related brain inflammation fueling mental disorders in Ugandan children - Experts
An elderly woman undergoes a medical test during a medical camp held at St Stephen’s Church of Uganda, Luzira in Kampala. The camp was organized by Quality Chemical Industries Limited in partnership with Mengo Hospital in commemoration of World Malaria Day 2025 on April 25, 2025. PHOTO/SYLIVIA KATUSHABE
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- Ms Musiimenta explained that if cerebral malaria is not detected and treated early, the resulting inflammation in the brain can lead to the development of various mental health conditions.
Health experts have linked severe malaria to long-term mental health problems among children in Uganda.
Ms Maureen Musiimenta, a clinical psychologist at Focus on Recovery Uganda, emphasized the devastating impact of cerebral malaria on young children.
Ms Musiimenta explained that if cerebral malaria is not detected and treated early, the resulting inflammation in the brain can lead to the development of various mental health conditions.
“Cerebral malaria affects the brain directly. The inflammation damages critical areas responsible for behavior, emotions, and cognitive functions. If untreated, children are at risk of conditions such as depression, anxiety, behavioral disorders, and even insanity,” Ms Musiimenta said.
Uganda remains one of the countries most affected by malaria. According to the Uganda National Institute of Public Health, 37,195 malaria-related deaths were recorded in 2023. Children and pregnant women remain at the highest risk, with the disease contributing to maternal deaths, stillbirths, low birth weight, and ongoing cycles of poverty and poor health outcomes.
Ms Musiimenta urged the public to prioritize early diagnosis and proper medication for malaria, especially among children and pregnant women.
“We are calling on people to always be aware of their problems with malaria, to detect it early and have it treated, especially in young children. Because when it comes to young children, now it causes more cognitive problems where the children will stop—the brain, someone who had started walking, talking, will stop talking, they will stop walking, and all these functions come from the brain,” Ms Musiimenta said.
Speaking to this publication on April 27th, Ms Musiimenta further emphasized that many children who survive severe malaria often struggle silently with emotional and mental health challenges, which can persist into adulthood if not properly managed.
In April 2025, the government rolled out a national malaria vaccination campaign aimed at reducing malaria cases among children.
During the launch, the Minister of Health, Dr Jane Ruth Aceng, appealed to all mothers and caregivers to ensure that children aged six to 18 months receive the malaria vaccine.
Dr Aceng explained that the vaccine is expected to prevent at least 800 cases of severe malaria among children every day, easing the financial burden on families by saving approximately Shs15,000 per malaria case that would have been spent on treatment.
Meanwhile, speaking during a medical camp organized by Quality Chemical Industries Limited at St Stephen’s Church of Uganda Luzira in Kampala to commemorate World Malaria Day 2025, Ms Milly Tumwebaze, a nursing officer at Mengo Hospital, raised concern about the increasing rate of drug resistance among the population.
Ms Tumwebaze attributed cases of drug resistance to self-medication, noting that patients are taking anti-malarial drugs without proper prescription from qualified health officials.
“People should avoid this tendency of self-medication, because you don't know what you are treating. Not whenever a person presents with the temperature, that it confirms malaria. Malaria you have to test and you confirm,” Ms Tumwebaze said.
In 2010, the National Drug Authority estimated that eight in every ten people self-medicate or buy drugs without prescription. NDA attributed this to the increased number of pharmacies and drug shops, the expensive cost of treatment from clinics, and long distances to health facilities.
Ms Tumwebaze urged people to always visit health facilities whenever they present with signs of malaria so that health officials can properly investigate and confirm the disease.
The Chief Finance Officer of Quality Chemical Industries Limited, Mr Frederick Kakooza, urged the private sector to work together with communities and government to reduce malaria in the country through continuous public sensitization.
He encouraged communities to follow Ministry of Health guidelines by sleeping under treated mosquito nets and seeking medical attention in time.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), malaria remains the leading cause of severe illness and death among young children in Uganda.
