By Solomon Hamala
IGANGA
Busoga Healthy Forum is soon starting off with the process of eliminating malaria from Iganga district through mass spraying of mosquitoes with selected mosquito killer insecticides.
The campaign which headed by the former Vice President of Uganda Dr. Specioza Kazibwe is being piloted in Nawanyingi Sub County.
“We are going to spray mosquitoes in houses, schools, worshiping places and all the surrounding bushes with an aim of killing mosquitoes that transmit malaria,” Dr. Kazibwe said adding that in the very campaign, alongside mass spraying, people will also be mass screening and receiving mass treatment for malaria.
“This is done to ensure that there is no room for mosquitoes biting and transmitting malaria from one person to another,” Dr. Kazibwe said.
Early last month, the medical team and the mobilization team comprised of the respective LC1 Chairpersons and the religious people carried out a census in Nawanyingi Sub County to help the implementation team in determining and computing how much finances and logistics are needed for the exercise to be implemented.
Nawanyingi Sub County was curved from Bulamagi Sub County and it has 21 villages. However figures from the district health office, suggests that malaria is too high in this Sub County thus calling for urgent intervention from the concerned stakeholders. Nawanyingi Investment Forum, a body which advocates for the better health, education and economic aspect and among others responded to the call and began mobilizing financial resources for the project implementation.
The Lab attendant for Bunyiro HC3, the biggest health facility in Nawanyingi Sub County, Wandera Fred said 80% of patients they register at the health facility have malaria. He said this is as a result of poor use of mosquito nets and the high swamps and wetlands that surround the Sub County.
The Assistant Health Officer Iganga Dr. Muluya Karim Mwebaza appreciated the health initiative saying it will give some relief on the less drugs, medical facilities and medical staff as well. “Some people accuse medical workers of stealing government drugs into their private clinics. However partly it’s as a result of the high number of patients that overwhelm the limited available drugs in Iganga main hospital and other health centers,” he said.
The team called Village Malaria Eradication Health Brigade on which the respective LC1 Chairpersons are on board started collecting the data from the 21 village’s respectively. “You have been fully equipped with knowledge needed in collecting the data. We expect the best out of you,” said Waiswa Abubakari. Waiswa is the Communication Consultant for the project and he said this while handing over the data collection tools to the respective LC1 Chairpersons and the village Malaria Eradication Health Brigade.
The Village Malaria Eradication Health Brigade is expected to move from one house hold to another across the 21 villages while carrying out census to establish the right number of households and population to help in the planning and budgeting process of the campaign.
The district LC5 Chairman Ezira Gabula thanked Dr. Kazibwe and her team for the campaign saying the campaign is not only health for the community in terms of having an economically productive community, it will reduce on the influx of patients in health facilities hence cut on costs meant to procure drugs and put into other productive activities.
Iganga district has one general hospital however it attracts patients of all types from the neighboring districts of Mayuge, Luuka, Namutumba, Namayingo, Bugweri and Kaliro respectively and time over leaders in Iganga district have agitated for the hospital to be elevated to a regional hospital status to enable it increase on its budget, drugs, facilities and staff to address the overwhelming number of patients.
The Chairperson of Busoga Health Forum Dr. Waiswa Peter said the Forum has over 1,000 health professional members where Dr. Speciosa Wandera Kazibwe is one of them. Speaking about the program, he said at Uganda Cancer Institute the top figures of people who are diagnosed with bacts-lymphoma come from Busoga region and that research shows that malaria is the main contributors to this effect. “Eliminating malaria out of Busoga will cause a healthy people, environment and an economically productive community,” Dr. Waiswa said.
The LC1 Chairperson for Nakilurwe village in Nakilurwe Parish Abasa Famba pledged total support for the project saying malaria has caused havoc in the local community. “Our people are always sick and moving between home and hospital because of malaria disturbances.”
The LC3 Chairman for Nawanyingi Sub County Ndaye Yakubu said his Sub County has a total of 20,000 people. He urged the locals not to decampaign the project for the good of development and a better community.
