The LC5 of Omoro district Okello Dogalas Peter Okao, said the district is battling to treat malaria, adding that they have formed malaria focal point teams working tirelessly in collecting data and reporting timely.
By Okot Lil Romeo
Gulu – August 16, 2022: Over 50 district leaders in the Acholi sub-region welcomed the presidential initiative on malaria reduction during the regional inception meeting launched in Gulu city. The meeting follows support from the US government [USAID] to Uganda to fight malaria.
Malaria cases and deaths in Acholi among other regions are high. For Acholi, it has 76% of regional cases are recorded in the households.
Child health development center [CDC], Makerere University, Breausera Center for Divine economy [BCDE], American Malaria Center Development [AMCD], and the Ministry of Health of Uganda are implementing partners.
Binagwa Benjamin, chief of party under JSI/PUMRA, revealed that the main focus of the project is to engage the local households in the community and to form a team of malaria focal point persons within the local community to help early checking of malaria treatment.
Benjamin, however, noted that these projects would cover 10 districts and all the private health facilities, clinics, and drug shops to benefit from these programs in terms of data collection and reporting, engagement on how malaria admission to be conducted, and referral processes to fight malaria in our local community.
“Child and pregnant mothers are dying in the region,” he said, adding that a total of 738 perinatal deaths were recorded in the Acholi sub-region of which 346 of MSB were recorded from October last year.
“It has become a challenge to us; it needs total commitment to fighting such deaths in the region.”
In an interview with the LC5 of Omoro district Okello Dogalas Peter Okao, the district is battling to treat malaria, adding that they have formed malaria focal point teams working tirelessly in collecting data and reporting timely.
“This initiative would have helped to manage the perinatal deaths of pregnant mothers in the region…”
Dr. Mugwanya Edward said there is poor data collection and analysis which is affecting the control of malaria in the communities. He said 12% of the cases exist in Acholi, West Nile at 22%, and Lango at 13% of malaria cases registered per sub-region.
Mugwanya noted that some regions are inactive in engaging in malaria treatment and prevention, adding that the district is failing to engage integrative private health facilities like drug shops, and clinics to benefit from the project, leaving it very difficult in preventing the spread of malaria.
In an interview with the Deputy RCC of Bardege- Layibi division in Gulu city Gilbert Okwii, the project [funds] has come at a time when people are in a bad economic moment.
He said the government is losing money that is supposed to be supporting the locals in hiring the manpower for treating malaria, causing financial challenges to the government of Uganda to support the people in the local areas.
Sebastian Hussein Okuti is the RDC of Lamwo district. He challenges the district health committees to work on time and provide data while reporting malaria cases because the donors would not inject the money if there is no transparency of data and accountability.
Hussein, however, appealed to the local communities to embrace this intervention in the control of malaria as it has challenged the government of Uganda.
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