Ministry procures mosquito nets worth sh444b

Jul 01, 2020

The health ministry has embarked on a ‘COVID-19 smart’ anti-mosquito bednet campaign that is meant to protect the population against malaria.

The health ministry has embarked on a ‘COVID-19 smart' anti-mosquito bednet campaign that is meant to protect the population against malaria.

"The health ministry and the global world has come up with a concept of defeating COVID-19 and other essential diseases together, because even with COVID-19, we know that mosquitoes still exist," Dr. Jimmy Opigo, who heads the ministry's National Malaria Control Programme, said during online national media malaria orientation training. Opigo said the campaign, branded ‘Under the Net', will see the distribution of 27 million mosquito nets throughout the country in six phases from June to December, this year.

The exercise, estimated to cost sh444b, is supported by Global Fund, Against Malaria Foundation, USAID and the UK government. The campaign is premised on the fact that even with the COVID-19 pandemic, malaria remains one of the key killer diseases in Uganda.

In a recent address to the nation on COVID-19, health minister Dr Jane Ruth Aceng said the number of malaria cases diagnosed and treated increased by 56% between January and April.

According to the plan, the first 25 districts to benefit from the new bednet campaign in the June-July phase will be those with a high malaria prevalence and those that have been affected by floods.

These include Alebtong, Amolatar, Budaka, Bududa, Bugiri, Bukwo, Bulambuli, Butaleja, Butebo, Dokolo, Kaberamaido and Kalaki.

Others are Kapchorwa, Kibuku, Kween, Lira, Mbale, Namisindwa, Namutumba, Otuke, Pallisa, Serere, Sironko, Soroti and Tororo.

To ensure that COVID-19 guidelines are adhered to, Opigo said the bednets will be distributed house to house.

Dr Diana Atwine, the health ministry's permanent secretary, said the teams involved in the distribution exercise will be protected with gloves, masks, umbrellas and gumboots in case of bad weather.

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