Moses Ali, the second deputy prime minister on Saturday 12th December led government through the ministry of health to unveil the Wave 4 mosquito nets distribution in the West Nile Region.
Launching the distribution of mosquito nets in West Nile region with First Deputy Prime Minister, Rt. Hon. Gen. Moses Ali in Adjumani district. With the outbreak of floods in the region, the number of mosquitoes is expected to multiply in the next few months.
The nets have come in timely under the wise leadership of the president, H.E Yoweri Kaguta Museveni. For effectiveness, it is important that the netting not have holes or gaps large enough to allow insects to enter. It is also important to ‘seal’ the net properly because mosquitoes are able to ‘squeeze’ through improperly secured nets.
The number of malaria cases increased by 42% from 10,483,412 in 2018/19 to in 2019/20. Up to 93% of the patients diagnosed with malaria were Laboratory confirmed and ACTs were largely available for case management. It is worth noting that the country had registered a significant decline in the number of malaria cases in FY 2018/ 19 however, there was a surge in 2019/20 attributed to the heavy rains.
As part of the interventions to address the increased Malaria cases, Ministry of Health is currently undertaking the 3rd Universal Coverage Campaign to distribute long lasting insecticide mosquito nets to all households across the country. So far, 92 districts have been covered in three waves which commenced in August 2020.
The Government has prioritized distribution of mosquito nets as one of the most cost effective preventative measures for malaria control. Every three years, the Ministry of Health distributes mosquito nets to all Ugandans with the overall objective of reducing malaria morbidity and mortality. The reduction in malaria, as indicated in the Malaria Indicator Survey has been attributed to the use of mosquito nets.
Other interventions include: appropriate vector control and chemo prevention measures; at least 90% of malaria cases are appropriately managed in health facilities and in the communities; and communication to ensure behavioral change for malaria preventive practices, seeking treatment early and adherence to treatment using the Mass Action Against Malaria approach.
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