The Deputy Speaker, Thomas Tayebwa has said that he will rally Members of Parliament (MPs) to prioritise malaria prevention and control in the 2024/2025 financial year budget.
"This year we have put Shs25 billion in the budget for malaria testing kits. I think this is the first time, it is just the beginning," Tayebwa said.
He made the commitment on Saturday, 20 April 2024 at Parliament after participating in a 10km Malaria Awareness Walk, ahead of the World Malaria Day commemorated on 25 April.
He tasked the Minister of Health, Dr. Ruth Aceng to take a position on spraying and larviciding as one of the interventions in the fight against the malaria epidemic.
"I want to ask Hon. minister that you and World Health Organisation reconcile your positions on spraying and larviciding because neighbouring countries which have eliminated malaria have sprayed," he said adding that, ’this business of saying that Parliament said we cannot spray; this is a new Parliament, we are going to take charge. If we agree on spraying, we shall provide the money’.
Tayebwa asked the minister to present a costed strategy on spraying, to Parliament within three months.
"The money we are spending on treating malaria is too much and yet we are losing so many people. Let us make a commitment to fight malaria," he said.
Responding to a petition that was presented by a section of children who urged Parliament to among other things, allocate more funding to research and innovations to combat malaria, Tayebwa said a special session will be held to handle the concerns raised.
"What is more important is taking action on the points," Tayebwa said.
Minister Aceng applauded Parliament for promoting and investing in prevention of malaria saying that it is timely because partners are cutting funding for malaria control and prevention.
"It is time for Uganda to mobilise its own resources to end malaria. We are re-strategising and re-focusing all our resources," she said.
She warned that the pattern of malaria is changing, affecting adolescents in addition to expectant mothers and children.
"The vaccine we are getting only protects 50 per cent; that means it is not the magic bullet," Aceng said.
The Chairperson of the Uganda Parliamentary Forum on Malaria, Hon. Timothy Batuwa said that MPs have now adopted a community approach to combat malaria deaths and this has attracted support from all public universities.
"We are involving the communities right from programme design to implementation. We shall be training village teams in testing of malaria," said Batuwa.
According to the Director Public Health in the Ministry of Health, Dr. Daniel Kyabayinze, malaria kills 14 people every day and blamed this on late testing and delayed care.
"We can reverse and end this. Once you seek care in time, we can eliminate malaria," he said.