There’s need for collective effort to address Malaria
Richard Linga
What you need to know:
This World Malaria Day provides an opportunity to highlight the progress that has been made so far in the malaria fight, renew efforts to increase awareness...
Uganda has one of the highest global burdens of malaria cases, with over 90 percent of the population at risk. Malaria is Uganda’s leading cause of death, especially in children. In 2021, the World Health Organisation (WHO) reported that there were an estimated 13 million malaria cases and over 19,600 estimated deaths in the country.
Since 2019, Uganda has experienced a sustained increase in malaria cases in more than 70 districts reporting upsurges above normal expected levels in 2022, 16 percent of which reached epidemic levels according to the Ministry of Health. The Northern, Eastern and West Nile regions of the country account for the bigger proportion of the malaria cases. Health officials in the affected districts fear there are more cases in the communities than what is registered in medical facilities.
There are several causes attributed to this increase in malaria cases, according to the Minister of Health Dr Jane Ruth Aceng. The malaria upsurge has been attributed to climate change, vector resistance and drug resistance in some parts of the country. In an article published by the East African Newspaper, Dr Aceng warned that climate change will increase the opportunities for malaria transmission in most affected areas where there are ponds with stagnant water and bushy areas. She explained that an increase in temperature, rainfall, and humidity may cause an increase in the malaria-carrying mosquitoes at higher altitudes, increasing malaria transmission.
Dr Aceng says research on drug and vector resistance is ongoing and a scientific advisory committee has been constituted to follow up on the issues of resistance. She is hopeful that the results of the research will contribute to policy changes aimed at managing malaria in the country.
Globally, Malaria remains a major public health and development challenge. In 2021, about 95 percent of the estimated 228 million cases occurred in the African Region with more than 600,000 reported deaths.Uganda is the third contributor of malaria cases in Africa.
Other worrying causes of malaria upsurge and resurgence have been attributed to new strains of malaria arising in the Africa Region, which are more difficult to detect, and treat. The emergence of the deadlier and more resistant species of malaria carrying mosquito Anopheles Stephensi is one to worry about. Anopheles Stephensi is less known than Anopheles gambiae, Anopheles coluzzi and Anopheles arabiensis, the most common vectors in Africa.
The Ministry of Health and its partners have deployed several interventions to tackle the disease such as Mosquito Net Distribution, and Use, Indoor Residual Spraying, Seasonal Malaria Chemoprevention, Case Management, Malaria in pregnancy, prevention and treatment, Larval Source Management, Environmental Management including draining of stagnant water, Surveillance, Monitoring Evaluation and Operational Research, Advocacy, Social Behavior Change Communication among others.
With these efforts, the goal is to reduce the number of people getting infected and dying from malaria. However, there is more to be done to fight malaria than the current interventions, which mostly constitute medical and technological interventions.
This Year’s World Malaria Day will be marked under the global theme “Time to deliver zero malaria: Invest, Innovate, Implement”. Uganda has domesticated the global theme into a local theme “Getting back on Track through a collective responsibility.”
The global theme suggests the need to increase government allocations for malaria. According to the state minister for Primary Health Care Margaret Muhanga, malaria funding in Uganda is approximately 95 percent donor dependency which is a threat for the country. This therefore calls for an urgent need for scientific ideas.
Similarly, the national theme of getting back on track through a collective responsibility reminds us that the country is still grappling with malaria epidemics despite availability of tools and interventions hence a need to reenergize the effort.
This World Malaria Day provides an opportunity to highlight the progress that has been made so far in the malaria fight, renew efforts to increase awareness about malaria, its prevention, raise our voices together to make a strong case for increased investments in malaria, contribute and advocate for efficient use of resources, and support research and development of new tools and interventions for malaria control and elimination.
