Dr. Joyce Moriku Kaducu launches LLIN Mosquito Net 2020 Campaign
The Minister of State for Health in charge of Primary Health Care Hon. Dr. Joyce Moriku Kaducu has today launched LLIN Mosquito Net 2020 Campaign at Media Centre Kampala.
The Government of Uganda has made significant improvement in the fight against Malaria in the last decade. The Malaria prevalence has significantly reduced from 42% in 2009 to 19% in 2014 and now to 9.2% in according to the Malaria Indicator Survey, 2018/19.
It is because the Ministry of Health (MoH) is dedicated to ensuring that Malaria is addressed at all levels using all available means. Maximum impact on malaria can only be achieved through focusing on the integration of the most effective prevention and treatment tools.
However, despite the above improvements, Malaria is still a disease of major concern but globally primed for elimination. In Uganda alone, Malaria is the leading cause of morbidity and mortality and accounts for over 30% of outpatient visits and 20% of hospital admissions. Everyone in Uganda is at risk of malaria, although pregnant women and children under five years are mostly affected.
It is therefore against the above background that the Government of Uganda is conducting the third Universal Coverage Campaign for the distribution of mosquito nets. The campaign dubbed ‘Under the Net’ will see the distribution of 27.5 million Long Lasting Insecticide Treated Nets (LLINs) throughout the country.
The main objective of this campaign is to increase access and ownership of nets in communities across the country. This campaign is further expected to create a culture of net use and sustain the gains achieved by the previous campaigns which led to a reduction in the malaria prevalence. This will also be an opportunity to educate the population on mosquito net use, care, repair and repurposing.
The overall cost of this campaign is USD 120M. Under the campaign, a total of 15 million nets were procured with funding from the Global Fund, 12 Million nets from AMF and while the US President’s Malaria Initiative/PMI has provided logistical support for the campaign.
This is a COVID-19 smart campaign. The Government has procured Personal Protective Equipment worth USD 3M to ensure protection of the distribution teams against COVID-19. These will ensure that teams and homesteads are protected from the risk of contracting COVID-19. The campaign will be a door to door distribution and will not encourage gathering at a specific point as was in the earlier campaigns. The registration and distribution exercise per wave will last only 5 days to reduce interactions with different communities. It is a paper-less campaign as data will be collected in a digital form to reduce contact with paper which could pose a risk for COVID spread.
Having learnt from the government’s home to home food distribution to avoid gathering in line with thePresidential COVID 19 directives; this campaign w
Our teams (LCs, VHTs and youth) will be fully equipped with Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) as they move home to home and use digital records utilizing youth smartphones instead of paper that would be a medium for COVID 19 transmission and employing youth currently out of school.
All trainings, advocacy meetings and launches pertaining to the ‘Under the Net’ campaign will be digital and scientific heavily utilizing social media and other new media like blogs.
To further support the COVID fight, the mosquito net campaign sensitization will utilize COVID taskforces at district and sub county levels and fund media space delivering integrated malaria and COVID messages.
Starting Friday 10th July, 2020, 25 districts will be covered under Wave I and these include: Alebtong, Amolatar, B
The subsequent waves and distribution timelines of this campaign are as follows;
Wave 2; 38 districts will be covered. These include: Bukomansimbi, Kalungu
Wave 3: Kampala and Wakiso will be covered. Distribution of mosquito nets will take place between August and September, 2020
Wave 4: 18 districts will be covered and these include; Hoima , Ibanda , Kamwenge, Kibale, K
Wave 5: 26 districts will be covered. These include: Amuria, Bukedea, Kata
Wave 6: 24 districts will be covered. These are: Busia, Buyende, Iganga, Jinja, Kaliro, Kamuli, Kapelabyong, Kiryandon
APPEAL TO THE PUBLIC
As we start the campaign, I appeal to the general public to observe the following;
I implore the leaders to;
I also appeal to Health Workers both in private and public health facilities to;
1. Sensitize and educate clients on the benefits of adhering to Malaria prevention and control measures
2. Adhere to the Test, Treat and Track Policy guidelines
During the address, the minister appreciated all the partners who are supporting the campaign.
The campaign is supported with funds from the Government of Uganda, the Global Fund, Against Malaria Foundation, UK Government/DFID and USAID/Presidential Malaria Initiative. I wish to thank the following partners for their tireless efforts in ensuring the smooth running of the campaign; World Health Organization, UNICEF, The Global Fund, Against Malaria Foundation, United States Agency for International Development, Malaria Consortium, District teams, Village Health Teams and all our partners.
Thank You.
For God and My Country
Dr. Joyce Moriku Kaducu
Minister for State for Health (Primary Health Care)
