Govt launches larvicides to fight malaria in eastern Uganda
NAMUTUMBA – The Ministry of Health has introduced larvicides as an alternative in the fight against malaria in some districts of eastern Uganda.
A larvicide is a type of insecticide used to control mosquitoes indoors and outdoors. They work by killing mosquito larvae before they can grow into adults.
Experts say some formulations of larvicides are activated when ingested by the mosquitoes, and some formulations work when they come into contact with the larvae.
The intervention will help the fight against the outbreak of resistant malaria in the districts of Namutumba, Pallisa, and Kibuku.
The Ministry of Health permanent secretary, Dr Diana Atwine, said the insecticides have been scientifically proven to be good in the fight against malaria.
Dr Atwine made the remarks at the launch of the larvicide method at Namutumba district headquarters days ago.
She said they will be spraying outside and targeting breeding sites of anopheles mosquitoes, which are the malaria vectors.
She said mosquito nets alone cannot solve the malaria upsurge in the country.
“The chemicals will be used in both man-made and natural breeding sites in the district. These would include pools, drainages, burrow pits, ponds, roadside pools, channels, and river bed pools,” she said.
The Namutumba district health officer, Dr James Kiirya, registered about 95,348 cases of malaria from July 2022 to January 2023.
“We have a problem of malaria in the district and yet we don’t have enough antimalarials in our health facilities,” Dr Kiirya said.
He attributed the high cases of malaria to wetlands. “We are surrounded by wetlands and rivers. It has caused us issues with malaria,” Mukisa said.
In Uganda, malaria is the number one cause of death, morbidity, and poverty.
According to statistics, the country spends US$ 658 million [about Shs 1.6 trillion] on malaria annually, which is equivalent to 10 percent of the Ministry of Health budget.
https://thecooperator.news/rise-in-malaria-cases-worry-kabarole-leaders/
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