HEPS Uganda joined the rest of the country and world to commemorate the World Malaria Day last week in Kabarole, Fortportal under the theme, ” End Malaria for Good.” In Uganda, the theme was under the slogan, “Children up against Malaria.” The State Minister of Health for general Duties, Sarah Opendi decried the misuse of mosquito nets by families who use them in their farms, poultry houses among other things. The Ministry of Health estimates that in 2013, 27.2% of in-patient deaths of children under five years of age were due to Malaria. Malaria causes nearly half (49%) of morbidity among children under 5 years of age. Overall, about 16 million cases of malaria are recorded per year, with 10,500 of them resulting in death. Over 80% of the Malaria funding comes from donors. If Malaria interventions in Uganda are going to succeed, we need government ownership of this problem.
