Fighting malaria in Uganda
23 November 2023
Category:
Malaria preventionIn a rural seaside village in Kalangala, Uganda, community members gather in their hundreds to collect their mosquito nets as a mass distribution campaign kicks off. These long-lasting, insecticide-treated bed nets are provided to households every 3 years as part of the country’s national malaria control programme. As a physical and insecticidal barrier that shields people from mosquitoes carrying the malaria parasite, these nets prevent cases and save lives.
Unexpected challenges like malaria can quickly upend everything. The toll of this disease on families is devastating: a child cannot go to school, a caregiver is unable to work. Without access to diagnosis and treatment, malaria can kill. Prevention is the first line of defence.
Here in Kalangala, the threat of malaria looms large. One man explained why his bed net is so important to him: “We don’t have much, but I still love my life; I want to be alive. Something good can come up tomorrow, but to get to that something good, you have to survive.”