Kampala 27th June 2016:- Twenty seven (27) districts in are currently experiencing a Malaria upsurge.  They include Koboko, Nebbi, Moyo, Adjumani, Amuru, Nwoya, Gulu, Oyam, Lamwo, Kitgum, Agago, Hoima, Bundibugyo, Amuria, Nakasongola, Kamuli, Busia, Serere, Kumi, Bukedea, Ngora, Butambala and Lyantonde among others.

Recently, the World Health Organization (WHO) Country Office hosted a Roll Back Malaria Partnership meeting that addressed the malaria situation in the country. It emerged that the malaria epidemic had gone beyond the ten districts of northern Uganda that were originally affected to 27 districts presently. At the meeting it was reported that the first response plan focused on northern Uganda was funded up to only 25%. Yet this 25% was implemented in a patchy way and was not well aligned. For instance, the training of Village Health Teams in fever case management was done when there were no medicines in the districts for them to distribute. 

The Commissioner Health Services in the Ministry of Health Dr. Patrick Tusiime commended WHO and partners for meeting to help address the malaria upsurge in the country.   He promised to be an active member of the Roll Back Malaria Partnership and to be the link between the partnership and the Ministry of Health.  

Dr. Charles Katureebe the Malaria Advisor at the WHO Country Office called for strengthened malaria surveillance throughout the country.  This, he said, could be done partly through operationalization of the weekly malaria status reports to guide the National Malaria Control Programme and partners to respond to any abnormal situation in time.  He also mentioned the epidemic preparedness and response monitoring that should be done at all health facilities as well as capacity building of health workers to monitor and report on malaria cases on a weekly basis.

The partners agreed to extend the current response plan to December 2017 and that it should include at least two rounds of Indoor Residual Spraying. They however recommended development of district-specific plans with  proper gap analysis and district generated components for increased ownership, They further agreed to undertake a joint supervision mission to  northern Uganda in  July for an on-the-spot evaluation of the problem. 

It was unanimously decided to address the problem medicine stock outs to deal with medicine scarcity especially during outbreaks. The partners agreed to involve the agriculture sector, the United Nations High Commission for Refugees, and the Office of the Prime Minister in resource mobilization to tackle the malaria epidemic.

________________________________________________

For more information, please contact:

Edmond MWEBEMBEZI , Email:emwebembezi [at] gmail.com (emwebembezi[at]gmail[dot]com)