50 schools set for inaugural Bye Bye Malaria Festival

More than 500 learners from over 50 schools are set to converge at the Marriott Hotel in Kampala on November 20 for the inaugural Bye Bye Malaria Schools Festival, turning the fight against malaria into a day of learning, creativity and child-led advocacy.

Organised by Children Voices Against Malaria Uganda (CVAMU), the festival will run under the theme “My Day, My Rights: My Health, My Future” and will bring together learners, schools, health partners and communities to raise awareness about malaria prevention and access to healthcare.

The event will also coincide with World Children’s Day, celebrated every November 20 to commemorate the adoption of the Declaration of the Rights of the Child by the United Nations General Assembly in 1959 and the Convention on the Rights of the Child in 1989.

But this will be more than just another school gathering.

The festival is designed to give children a platform to share their experiences with malaria, learn practical prevention measures and take part in activities aimed at improving health outcomes in their homes, schools and communities.

Speaking at the launch, CVAMU Executive Director Henry Lutwama said malaria continues to affect children’s health, education and family welfare, with illness often resulting in missed classes, school absenteeism and financial pressure on families.

He said children need accurate information, supportive adults and access to proven malaria prevention and treatment services.

“Schools provide an important platform for helping children learn, develop healthy practices and share correct information with their families,” Lutwama said.

He added that CVAMU is building a child-led movement bringing together learners, teachers, families and partners in the fight against malaria.

The movement will officially launch during the festival through School Malaria Clubs, education, advocacy and practical prevention activities, with children positioned as active participants rather than simply recipients of health messages.

For malaria champion Katrina Joyce Bakka, the festival is also about giving children a voice.

“This festival gives us an opportunity, as children, to share experiences on how to fight malaria because in the end, we are the most vulnerable,” she said.

The celebration comes against the backdrop of continued concern over malaria in Uganda.

Regional health bulletins published in August 2026 indicated high malaria transmission in parts of the Mbale and Lango regions, while paediatric malaria prevalence in some parts of Lango was reported at between 32% and 60%.

National data finalised in 2026 also showed childhood malaria prevalence at 13%, up from 10% in previous survey cycles.

Health experts have pointed to factors including changing weather patterns, rising temperatures and inconsistent use of mosquito nets as contributing to the continuing challenge.

Medical experts and laboratory specialists also warned in late August of an increase in severe malaria cases and rapid clinical deterioration among school-age children.

The festival comes as Uganda implements its Malaria Elimination Strategic Plan 2026–2030, which includes expanded Seasonal Malaria Chemoprevention (SMC).

The programme, which involves giving children intermittent protective doses of antimalarial medicine, was previously focused on children under five but has been extended to children up to 10 years in areas with highly seasonal transmission, including Karamoja.

Lutwama said the Bye Bye Malaria Schools Festival will complement these national efforts by giving children practical knowledge and encouraging them to champion malaria prevention in their homes, schools and communities.

With more than 50 schools already on board, organisers hope the inaugural festival will turn the familiar message of malaria prevention into something children can own, share and take back home.