Mass mosquito net campaign kicks off in eastern Uganda

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The government has launched a 12-day mass distribution campaign of mosquito nets in several districts across eastern Uganda as part of efforts to reduce malaria infections.

The campaign, which officially kicked off on Tuesday (April 7), will run until April 18, with health officials urging residents in beneficiary districts, particularly in the Busoga region, to register in order to receive free insecticide-treated mosquito nets.

According to the Ministry of Health, the exercise is part of Uganda’s broader malaria prevention strategy aimed at ensuring universal coverage of mosquito nets, especially in high-burden regions where transmission rates remain persistently high.

“This campaign is about protecting families and saving lives,” said Dr Jimmy Opigo, the programme manager of the Uganda National Malaria Control Programme.

He said sleeping under a mosquito net every night remains one of the most effective ways to prevent malaria.

The distribution drive comes at a critical time when recent data shows that, despite years of intervention, malaria continues to pose a significant public health challenge in Uganda.

In many parts of the east, including Busoga, malaria transmission remains high due to favourable breeding conditions for mosquitoes, including stagnant water, high rainfall and dense populations.

Opigo said ensuring that every household has access to mosquito nets is key to reducing infections, particularly among vulnerable groups such as children under five and pregnant women.

The campaign builds on previous national efforts that have seen millions of long-lasting insecticidal nets distributed across Uganda, alongside other interventions such as vaccination, indoor residual spraying, improved diagnostics and access to treatment.

“Ownership of mosquito nets must translate into consistent use. A net only protects you if you sleep under it every night,” said Opigo.

"Malaria is preventable, but only if we all play our part."

The ongoing campaign is being accompanied by community sensitisation efforts, with local leaders and health teams conducting door-to-door mobilisation to encourage proper usage.

The government has increasingly prioritised prevention as a cost-effective approach to managing malaria, especially in the face of rising cases reported in recent surveys.

According to the latest Uganda Malaria Indicator Survey 2025, malaria prevalence has risen to about 13 percent, up from 10 percent in 2018-2019, signalling a worrying reversal in gains made over the past decade.

In eastern Uganda, complementary interventions such as indoor residual spraying have been rolled out in selected districts, targeting hundreds of thousands of households and protecting millions of people.

Despite these efforts, malaria remains deeply entrenched, driven by a combination of environmental, socio-economic and behavioural factors.

Poor housing conditions, limited access to healthcare in some areas and inconsistent use of preventive tools continue to fuel transmission, particularly in rural and hard-to-reach communities.

Uganda remains one of the countries with the highest malaria burden globally, with about 90 percent of the population at risk of infection. Recent data shows the country records more than 16 million malaria cases annually, making it one of the leading causes of illness and death, particularly among children under five.

Estimates from the World Health Organisation indicate that Uganda experiences over 13 million infections and more than 16,000 deaths each year, underscoring the scale of the challenge facing the health system.