Joyce Namugambe
The Katikkiro of Buganda Owek Charles Peter Mayiga has launched the distribution of mosquito nets in the districts that make up Buganda kingdom as away of joining the ministry of health cause to fight against malaria among Ugandans.
This campaign has been taking place in different parts of the country and now it will be conducted in the districts that are found in Buganda Kingdom. The village health teams will start registering people in districts under families next week and there after the distribution will be conducted at the places to be communicated in the villages.
While launching this distribution at Bulange Mengo, Katikkiro Mayiga was pleased to receive the team from the Ministry of health in the central government to strengthen the collaboration between Buganda kingdom and the Ministry of health to promote the health of Ugandans. He said that this will help to promote people’s health since being healthy gives people a long life and living a long life helps them to register success through realising their life dreams.
He urged people to register at their LCs to get mosquito nets as a Christmas hamper from the Buganda government together with the central government through the Ministry of health. He revealed that Malaria is one of the main killers in this country taking the 3rd position in the whole world, and millions of people lose their lives every year due to Malaria caused by the Mosquitos urging Ugandans to receive the Mosquito nets and make good use of them so that they can benefit them.
However, in addition to using mosquito nets to fight against Malaria in the country, Owek Mayiga recommended that people should also clear bushes around their homes, to clear stagnant water around their homes, close their doors to avoid mosquitoes from entering their houses especially in the evening and spray. He as well warned the public against misusing the mosquito nets.
The Head of the Malaria control program from the Ministry of health Doctor Jimmy Opigo noted that they have collaborated with the Buganda Kingdom so that the kingdom adds its voice and request the subjects in Buganda, Uganda and beyond to embrace public health, disease prevention, Primary health care, but most especially to embrace the responsibility of fighting malaria and to participate in the mosquito nets distribution.
He revealed that the ministry has close to 29 million mosquito nets enough for all Ugandans and by next week, the ministry is to avail mosquito nets to all buganda and Karamoja districts so that they can fight malaria in the country and as well challenged the public from misusing the nets for other purposes such as making juice, catching grasshoppers among others.
Another representative from the Ministry of health Rukia Nakamatte revealed that the campaign to give out mosquito nets was started in April this year and the ministry is concluding with districts in Buganda. She appealed to people to register the right number of people in their homes to the village health teams to ease the work of giving out these nets. She revealed that they are to give out these nets from Wednesday 21/12/2023 next week to Saturday at different distribution centres.
In the same way, Edward Muganga from the Ministry of health also called upon people to endeavour putting these nets to the right use warning people who misuse them such as fishermen and also warned those who receive them and don’t sleep under them. He added that these nets are very safe for people to use them such as pregnant women, children, the elderly and all people.
