Otuke District in Northern Uganda has recorded decrease in the rates of high Malaria burden in the district from 43 per cent in 20017 to 15.7 per cent in 2018 following community sensitization on awareness about malaria sickness.
This report was revealed by Dr Alex Remo the District Health Officer Otuke.
Adding that the fight has been successful following the sensitization they have been contacting in the community about sanitation as the local government in conjunction with the Malaria consortium in training the village health team through USAID supports.
Robert Abak the Resident District Commissioner Otuke district acknowledged the drop and said that has been achieved by use of the indoor residual spraying and sensitization of the community about malaria and it is now a history of the past.
This Year Otuke gave away the Indoor residual spraying to kill mosquitoes to other neighboring districts of Agago and Kole because it was excess to them since they have fought and suppressed malaria prevalence in the district.
However, Statistics from the Ministry of Health show that malaria is still the leading cause of death in Uganda, accounting for more than 27 per cent of deaths.
The statistics also show that Uganda has the world’s highest malaria incidence, with a rate of 478 cases per 1,000 populations per year.
Uganda ranks as the sixth among African countries with high malaria-related mortality rates.
Across Africa, reports from the World Health Organization show that one in four children are still not protected by mosquito nets or indoor residual spraying and about half of all pregnant women at risk of suffering from malaria do not receive preventive treatment. Sub-Saharan Africa carries a disproportionately high share of the global malaria burden. In 2015, the region was home to 88 per cent of malaria cases and 90 per cent of malaria deaths.