Dr Aceng noted that due to the poor immunization coverage, the mortality rate from vaccine preventable diseases in the sub-region remain high yet the Ministry has stocked the health facilities with vaccines.
Health Minister Dr Jane Ruth Aceng (C) interacts with Gulu City Health Officers during the national celebrations for World Malaria day in Gulu city on April 25 2025.
The Minister for Health, Dr Jane
Ruth Aceng has expressed deep concerns over the persistently low immunisation
coverage in the Acholi sub-region despite the availability of vaccines in government
health facilities.
Dr Aceng highlighted the concerns
on Friday while officiating at the National World Malaria Day celebrations held
at Kaunda Parade grounds in Gulu city. The event was held under the theme “Eliminate
Malaria Now”.
Dr Aceng noted that due to the
poor immunisation coverage, the mortality rate from vaccine-preventable
diseases in the sub-region remains high, yet the Ministry has stocked the health
facilities with vaccines. The health Ministry immunisation schedule has 14
vaccines that are administered during childhood.
The Minister, however, noted that the Acholi Sub-region in particular still lags in vaccination uptake, unlike other
parts of the country.
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She encouraged the leaders within
the sub-region to work harder and emulate other regions so that they don’t end
up lagging again in administering the recently launched malaria vaccine for children.
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The Health Ministry launched the R21/Matrix-M
malaria early this month in Apac district, targeting some 1.1 million children
under two years in 105 high and moderate transmission districts across Uganda. The
vaccine will be administered in four doses at 6, 7, 8, and 18 months.
The Minister, however, urged Ugandans
to take malaria seriously, arguing that many people have become insensitive to the
disease and treat it as a routine part of life rather than a serious health
threat.
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Gulu City Health Officer Dr Daniel
Okello, while presenting the situational report for malaria in Gulu city, noted that the health department has achieved a tremendous decline in inpatient
malaria mortality in the last two financial years, 2022/24 and 2023/24.
For instance, in the 2023/24
financial year, the city health department saw a 37 percent decline from 49 to
31 per 100,000 of the population. In the financial year 2023/24, there was a 35
percent decline from 110 to 71 per 100,000 of the population.
Dr Okello also noted that in the same
period, confirmed malaria cases reduced from 347 per 1,000 population to 335
per 1,000 population, with the test positivity rate reducing 33 percent to 28
percent.
However, in a bid to sustain the
achievements, Dr Okello recommended the need to prioritise maternal services,
increase distribution of insecticide-treated mosquito nets, combat transmissions
and enhance diagnostic services in remote areas.
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Betty Aol Ocan, the Gulu City
Woman Member of Parliament, emphasised the need for upgrading the existing
health centre IIIs to Health Centre IVS so that they offer effective health
services. She also highlighted that while the government is committed to
fighting malaria, problems of drug stockouts remain a major hindrance in
treating malaria.
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Gulu City health department currently
operates four level three health centres. They are Aywee Health Center III,
Laroo Health Center III, Bardege and Layibi Teco Health Center IIIs.
The Deputy Speaker of Parliament, Thomas
Tayebwa, in a written message read by Dr Aceng, noted that the government is
committed to eliminating malaria by 203,0, citing tremendous progress made so far
in reducing the malaria burden. He
explained that so far, such achievements have been made possible through the
delivery of effective malaria prevention and control interventions.
Uganda is ranked number three, and
the third highest contributor of global malaria cases and the tenth highest
contributor to deaths. According to the Health Ministry data, 30 to 40 percent
of outpatient visits are due to malaria, while 20 percent of admissions are due
to malaria, with the disease accounting for 10 percent of the inpatient deaths.
