Malaria has killed at least 385 people and infected 1,511,487 people within 365 days in Acholi sub region. Of the 385 deaths cases, 240 were male while 145 were females.The malaria cases and deaths were recorded between June 2022 to June 2023 according to a report released by the Acholi sub region health departments.
Yoweri Idiba, the Assistant Gulu District Health Officer in charge of Environmental Health, has blamed the malaria burden across the districts on the issue of mosquito nets, failure to clean home compounds and the persistent heavy downpour which has led to flooding hence creating a fertile ground for mosquitos.
Meanwhile, Dr Peter Mukobi, the Director of Gulu Regional Referral Hospital, has attributed the high cases as a result of persistent drug stock out to deal with the disease, failure by the community to seek timely medical care and failure to sleep under mosquito nets among others.
According to Mukobi, malaria is preventable but people do not take malaria seriously that is why the disease is very high and remains the leading cause of death in the region
He however, said they are going to work closely with lower facilities to intensify health education as one of the ways to fight malaria as they also lobby the government for timely delivery of medicines.
Malaria remains the leading condition among all OPD diagnoses for all ages accounting for 45.7% of all OPD attendances followed by cough or cold (pneumonia)at 17.7% %, and gastrointestinal disorders (no-infective) at 3.4%.
Uganda has the third highest deaths from malaria in Africa and some of the highest recorded malaria transmission rates in the continent, particularly in the areas around Lake Kyoga in central Uganda.
Caption: Gulu Regional Hospital main gate {Photo by Ivan Tolit)
