There has been a huge upsurge in malaria across Uganda in the last month or so, and in the last week the rapid rise in deaths and cases of malaria have made world news. Katakwi is blessed to be at a relatively low level of malaria because of the interventions conducted under the Katakwi Rotary Malaria Project, but upsurges across the country can rapidly impact populations who have recently gotten malaria under control.
More than one million people have been infected with malaria in Uganda in the past two months, and since last year, deaths from severe malaria are up 250%.
“The health ministry has attributed the rapid rise partly to climate change, with the disease now appearing in regions that were previously malaria-free thanks to a mild climate.
The government said there had also been a reduction in use of mosquito bed-nets, as those distributed in 2017 had begun to age.” BBC News, August 2019
It’s upsetting, coming on the heels of a really spectacular Uganda Malaria Indicator Survey conducted in November of 2018, which showed that country prevalence had dropped below 9% — a drop of over 50% since the survey in 2014.
We must not lose the progress that’s been made!
In Pilgrim Africa’s project area, all village health team members (VHTs) received medicines and mobile phones this week, and are busy protecting fellow community members by testing and treating them for malaria on a regular basis. The VHTs have also recently distributed nets treated with novel effective insecticides. These bed nets are critical in making sure people are safe from the ongoing onslaught of mosquitoes.
Pictured: VHTs receiving their boxes of medical supplies and new bikes.
But not all families in Uganda are as well protected as the families in Katakwi. Along with other malaria partners in Uganda, we’ve been asked to help at a national level, to provide both nets and spraying where needed. Our ability to respond to this upsurge depends upon your generous support.
Your prayers are desired — and your help — are needed and appreciated!
Let’s stop this resurgence before it destroys Uganda’s fragile gains — and her people.
“Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.”
~ Galatians 6:9