Kampala, Uganda (CU)_ According to the Minister of Health Jane Ruth Aceng’s latest announcement, the government will begin a massive malaria vaccination drive in the country by the end of 2023. Aceng made this statement in response to calls for the government to intensify efforts to prevent, control, and eliminate malaria transmission in Uganda.
Aceng spoke of the malaria vaccine campaign. She said, “We are ready for implementation of the malaria vaccine. It may be introduced at the end of next year and is mainly for children. It is not 100 percent effective but we appreciate that it could bring the burden of malaria down”.
According to her, funding for malaria is presently being provided by donors and through partnerships. The Minister added, “We spend over US$120 million on malaria treatment annually with major donor support. We have also gone into partnerships with the private sector and Rotary who support various interventions”.
Dr Timothy Batuwa, Member of Parliament for Jinja South County West, stated during the motion’s introduction that the government has to increase its health budget to combat malaria. Lauding the government’s initiatives in the battle against malaria, he noted that the 2000 Abuja Declaration specifically aims to achieve excellent health and well-being with the goal of eradicating malaria by 2030. He said, “Malaria is responsible for over 30 percent of the total outpatient visits and 20 percent of all hospital admissions. We have seen a total of 20 million cases and a death toll of 30,900 people in 2020 alone including over 70,000 children under five years”.
According to Sara Opendi (NRM, Tororo District), malaria is Uganda’s biggest fatal illness. Opendi said, “The WHO 2020 report indicates that 30,000 people have died of malaria in Uganda. Efforts have been made by the ministry on sensitization of the public about malaria but the challenge is limited funding for interventions to deal with the disease”.
According to Pingire County MP Fred Opolot, the Malaria Control Bill should be expedited. He said, “This Bill needs to have a chapter which will establish a fund known as the Presidential Malaria Trust Fund Uganda whose objective will be to secure predictable and sustainable means of procuring goods and services for malaria prevention and treatment”.
