The government distribution of Long-Lasting Insecticide Treated Nets starts today in 25 districts of Eastern and Northern Uganda.
This is part of the newly launched “under the net” campaign, through which the government intends to distribute up to 27.5 million mosquito nets across the country. These include a total of 15 million nets procured with funding from the Global Fund, 12 million nets from AMF. The US President’s Malaria Initiative-PMI has provided logistical support for the campaign.
The exercise kicked off this morning in Serere, Soroti, Kalaki, Kaberamaido, Pallisa, Bukwo, Kween and Kapchorwa districts. According to the Ministry of Health, distribution teams have also arrived in Alebtong, Amolatar, Budaka, Bududa, Bugiri, Bulambuli, Butaleja, Butebo, Dokolo, Kibuku, Lira, Mbale, Namisindwa, Namutumba, Otuke and Tororo districts.
A total of 4,371,259 nets will be given out in the region, to enable residents to protect themselves against Malaria, the leading cause of deaths, accounting for over 30 per cent of outpatient visits and 20 per cent of hospital admissions across the country.
Jacob Ampeire, the Public Relations Officer at the Ministry of Health says that through the campaign, the government seeks to increase access and ownership of mosquito nets in communities, create a culture of net use and consolidate gains from previous interventions.
Uganda has made significant improvement in the fight against Malaria in the last decade from 42 per cent in 2009 to 19 per cent in 2014 and now to 9.2 per cent in according to the Malaria Indicator Survey, 2018/19.
The campaign will be conducted door to door to avoid public gathering at a specific point as was in the earlier campaigns. “This will also be an opportunity to educate the population on mosquito net use, care, repair and repurposing”, said Dr Joyce Moriku Kaducu, the State Minister for Health in charge of Primary Health Care in a press statement.
According to the distribution program, the second wave of the distribution will cover 38 districts of South and Western Uganda between July and August and the third batch of distribution will cover Kampala and Wakiso between August and September. The overall cost of the mosquito net campaign is USD 120 million (SH432 billion ).
Credit: URN