By Emmanuel Olinga
KATAKWI
District Authorities have sent a stern warning to locals who receive government mosquito nets and turn them into fishing nets and building fibre.
The warning was sounded by Lawrence Ongobe, Assistant Resident District Commissioner Katakwi over the weekend saying recipients of recently government given nets are mismanaging the nets for fishing and building houses as alternative for fiber.
Ongobe stressed that government injects resources for acquiring the nets and adding malaria continues to cause suffering, income loss, disabilities, and even death, yet it is preventable hence residents need to accept guidelines.
Christine Atim, Assistant Health Officer for Katakwi District, says malaria remains the leading cause of illness in the district, with about 50% of patients visiting health facilities testing positive.
Statistics from the health department show that out of every ten patients received at OPDs and tested for malaria, five to six turn out positive.
Atim noted that children under five and pregnant women are the most affected categories. She also appealed for proper usage of the insecticide mosquito nets distributed by the government of Uganda under the ministry of health.
Michael Opoya, an officer at the Ministry of Health implored communities to continue to take preventive steps such as clearing bushes around homes and eliminating stagnant water where mosquitoes breed.
