The ministry of health has instituted teams to move from house to house in villages, to monitor the use and hanging of mosquito nets. The Ministry is currently conducting the third Universal Coverage campaign for the distribution of long lasting insecticide mosquito nets.
The campaign dubbed “Under the Net”, intended to reduce malaria mortality and morbidity through the use of mosquito nets. A total of 27.5 million nets are expected to be give out covering the entire country by February 2021. So far, a total of 92 districts have been covered in three waves which commenced in August 2020.
However, Dr. Henry Mwebesa the Director General Health Services says they have received reports of misuse of the mosquito nets by some individuals.
Residents in some areas have allegedly resorted to selling the recently distributed nets to raise money for their households amidst the struggles caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
The ministry has now constituted taskforces at the district, Sub County and village levels to monitor utilization of the mosquito nets. The district taskforce is made up of the RDC as head and deputized by the DHO. Other members include; District Secretaries of Health, District Health Educators, Malaria Focal Persons District Vector Control officers and District Surveillance officers.
Sub county task force will closely monitor operations at the community level and will be supported by LC1, village health team members and police which has been assigned to monitor the operation at Parish and village levels.
Village team members will move house to house, sensitizing community members on the proper use of nets, net care, net repair and net re-purposing.
The next wave of the campaign will see the distribution of mosquito nets in the districts of Pader, Madi Okollo, Maracha, Moyo, Nebbi, Nwoya, Obongi, Omoro, Pakwach, Terego, Yumbe, Zombo, Kwania, Ssembabule, Mubende, Kassanda, Buvuma, Namayingo among others. Distribution will begin on 6th December 2020.
