Amuria intensifies fight against Malaria in schools

With growing resistance of mosquitoes to insecticides and antimalarial drugs, Amuria District in eastern Uganda has intensified efforts to combat malaria by launching indoor residual spraying (IRS) in educational institutions.

Amuria faces a significant malaria burden, with four out of every ten patients visiting health facilities testing positive for the malaria parasite.

“This financial strain results in reduced school attendance among learners, lost workdays for the working population, and diminished productivity in communities. Our test positivity rate stands at 40%.

That’s how serious the malaria problem is in Amuria,” said Godfrey Opolot, the acting District Health Officer.

In collaboration with the Ministry of Health and Pilgrim Africa, district authorities on Thursday, May 8, launched the Stop Malaria School Project. The launch, held at Amuria Primary School, took place under the theme: Malaria-Free Schools: My Responsibility.

Jimmy Opigo, Assistant Commissioner at the Ministry of Health, emphasized that spraying schools is an additional measure to ongoing government interventions, such as mosquito net distribution and vaccination.

“Learners are vulnerable during prep time, in dining halls, and when visiting latrines. Spraying the walls of these structures helps protect them,” Opigo noted.

The team of trained officials prepare to disinfect Amuria Primary School

For a typical Ugandan household, a single dose of malaria treatment costs approximately UGX 33,500. In areas with frequent infections, families may spend up to 25% of their household income on malaria prevention and treatment.

Dr. Yeka Adoke, a Pilgrim Africa board member, shared results from a similar initiative in Soroti District last year.

“We piloted school spraying in Soroti and saw a decline in school expenditures for treating malaria in children. We’re now extending this initiative to Amuria, covering 75 educational institutions,” he said.

Santa Okot, Member of Parliament for Aruu North in Pader District and representative of the Parliamentary Committee on Malaria Prevention, called for joint action.

“About ten children die daily from malaria in Uganda. Who will be our future if we don’t act? The fight against malaria requires the government and all stakeholders to work together,” MP Okot urged.

Pupils of Amuria Primary School carrying placards displaying messages of the fight against malaria during the launch of malaria free schools

Malaria remains one of the leading causes of death among children, according to the World Health Organization (WHO), which estimates that Uganda has the world’s highest malaria incidence rate, with 478 cases per 1,000 people annually.

Malaria vaccine roll-out

On April 2, 2025, the Ministry of Health, with support from Gavi, UNICEF, WHO, PATH, and CHAI, launched a nationwide malaria vaccination campaign in Apac District, northern Uganda.

This milestone made Uganda the 19th African country to introduce the malaria vaccine into routine immunization. It is the largest roll-out to date in terms of both the number of districts and target population.

The R21/Matrix-M malaria vaccine, administered in four doses at 6, 7, 8, and 18 months of age, aims to protect 1.1 million children under the age of two across 105 high- and moderate-transmission districts in Uganda.