By Sharon Basilika
The Ministry of Health has expressed concern over the high number of malaria cases in Mukono District, where 27 percent of patients tested for the disease have returned positive results.
Dr James Kaweesi, the district malaria spokesperson, said pregnant women and children below five years remain particularly vulnerable to severe malaria and its complications.
Kaweesi urged residents to sleep under mosquito nets and stop using them for other domestic purposes.
He said some residents still do not take malaria prevention seriously and called for more community sensitisation on how the disease spreads and how it can be prevented.
Kaweesi made the remarks during the launch of a mosquito net distribution exercise at Mukono District headquarters.
Mukono Resident District Commissioner Hajjati Fatuma Ndisaba Nabitaka urged residents to collect and use the nets, saying the exercise is intended to benefit everyone, regardless of their political affiliation.
She called on local leaders to ensure the nets reach the intended beneficiaries and are used for their intended purpose.
Mukono District Chairperson Francis Lukooya Mukoome welcomed the distribution exercise, saying malaria continues to affect many families in the district.
Lukooya said households spend considerable amounts of money treating malaria, yet many infections can be prevented through the proper use of mosquito nets.
He urged residents to make use of the nets, particularly in homes with pregnant women and children below five years.
Health officials also advised residents to clear mosquito breeding sites around their homes and seek medical attention as soon as they develop malaria symptoms.
