In a bid to intensify efforts towards the management of the Malaria epidemic in northern Uganda, the Ministry of Health has dispatched a team of 374 health workers to the region to boost up support towards the treatment of the disease. The team includes Medical doctors, medical clinical officers and nurses. The team has been contracted for a period of 30 days to offer case management at the health facility level. The epidemic broke out in the region in July last year and has so far affected 1,005,632 people, killing 658. The districts are; Agago, Amuru, Apac, Gulu, Kitgum, Kole, Lamwo, Nwoya, Oyam and Pader.
A total of 285 health facilities will benefit from this arrangement. These are at the level of General Hospitals, Health Center IVs, Health Centre IIIs and Health Centre IIs. These include; 38 health facilities in Agago, 26 health facilities in Amuru, 55 health Facilities in Gulu, 28 Health facilities in Apac, 20 Health Facilities in Kitgum, 26 health facilities in Oyam, 31 health facilities in Pader, 22 health facilities in Lamwo, 13 in Nwoya district and 26 health facilities in Kole. Under the arrangement, one doctor will be stationed in general hospitals, two doctors at Health center IVs, two Clinical Officers at Health Centre IIIs and one nurse at Health Centre IIs. Funding for this initiative is supported by Global Fund.
Due to various interventions, there has been a steady decline in the cases so far being registered however; the outbreak continues to ravage people in the region. The decline is attributed to number of interventions undertaken by the Ministry of Health and all the implementing partners since the onset of the epidemic. The ministry has continued to enhance surveillance in the affected districts to monitor and trace all people with signs and symptoms of fever. This has helped to treat the affected persons at all levels.
The Government continues to provide anti-malaria drugs and supplies to all health facilities in the affected districts. This has helped to reduce on the mortality and morbidity, especially among pregnant women and the children under five. This has been completed by presumptive treatment or mass treatment with the provision of the anti-malaria medicines to the Village Health Teams (VHTs).On the onset of the epidemic, VHTs were oriented on Malaria treatment, supplied with drugs and have continued to give out drugs to everyone with a simple fever. The Ministry of Health and partners have continued to distribute insecticide treated bed nets to all the affected districts. So a total of 34,000 bed nets have been distributed to most deserving households. This has been complemented with community mobilization on the use of the nets in order to have effective response.
A number of Behavior Change Communication (BCC) interventions have also been undertaken to sensitize the public about prevention and control measures for malaria. The Ministry of Health and partners have through a number of media channels majorly community radios and Village Health Teams educated the masses about the preventive measures for malaria.
With funding from the Global Fund, plans are underway by the Ministry of Health to undertake Indoor Residual Spraying (IRS) in the 10 affected districts. A total of 22billion shillings has been committed for this exercise which is expected to begin in the middle of this year. More funds have been sent to the districts to support data collection, mass treatment of fever at the community level and management of Malaria in schools. Additional support for other interventions has been provided by DFID, USAID, UNICEF, MSF and other implementing partners.
The Ministry of Health however, appeals to the general public, especially those in the affected areas to observe the following;
Sleep under an insecticide treated bed net for protection against mosquito bites Destroy all breeding places for malaria vectors by slashing compound and removing all dirty waters among others. For those already diagnosed with Malaria are requested to complete the dose of anti-malaria given to them Work closely with the Village Health Teams to monitor and report cases to health facilities The Ministry of Health is optimistic that with the above intervention, the Malaria epidemic will be brought to an end soon.