The Uganda Parliamentary Forum on Malaria has asked the Ministry of Health to improve the quality of mosquito nets distributed to Ugandans.
Research has shown that sleeping under an insecticide-treated net is one of the best ways to prevent malaria because the net forms a physical and chemical barrier against mosquitoes. When mosquitoes try to bite someone sleeping under a net they are not only blocked by the netting but also killed by the insecticide coating.
But the MPs have observed that the preventive measure, which remains the most common among Ugandans is becoming ineffective, especially in the areas of Busoga, Karamoja and West Nile, where Malaria remains the biggest contributor to the disease burden.
Christine Apolot, the deputy chairperson of the forum says that residents within the endemic areas have shared experiences on how mosquitoes easily penetrate their nets, despite receiving prior assurance from the government on their effectiveness. While addressing Ministry of Health officials at the Civil Service College in Jinja on Thursday, the
Apolot also asked the Ministry of Health to conduct more research about the chemicals used for Indoor Residual Spraying procedures, arguing that reports from the areas where they have been spraying indicate that they were not as effective as expected in eradicating mosquitoes.
Jimmy Opigo, the Assistant Commissioner in charge of the Malaria Control Program says that behavioural changes by mosquitoes which have become resistant to chemicals in treated mosquito nets have contributed to the surge of malaria cases within the Busoga and other endemic areas.
Opigo explains that the available malarial test kits in most of the health centres within the country are no longer effective because the parasite has deleted the gene for protein used in tracing the plasmodium, which has since left laboratory technicians releasing inaccurate results and at times positive cases are identified during their severe stages.
Opigo adds that, available research indicates that, malaria is becoming resistant to the available antimalarial drugs, which is slowing down the efforts of managing infected persons within communities.
However, Opigo further challenged the public to donate more blood for rescuing severe and anaemic cases, adding that the Ministry is working with both parliament and researchers to rollout means of effectively containing malaria.
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