"Malaria Is Not Normal" – Dr Aceng Sounds Alarm

Lira City — Uganda’s Minister of Health, Dr Jane Ruth Aceng Ocero, has issued a stern warning to Ugandans against normalising malaria, a disease she termed as the country’s leading killer.

Speaking during the ‘Kick Malaria Out of Uganda’ Walk held in Lira City, Dr Aceng, who is also the Woman Member of Parliament for Lira City, cautioned the public against treating malaria as a mere everyday illness. 

She emphasized that eliminating the disease requires the full implementation of all available prevention measures, coupled with behavioral change at community level.

“Ugandans got used to malaria and we made it part of our lives. So when we are sick of malaria, we take it as normal. Stop treating malaria as normal!” she warned.

Dr Aceng highlighted that malaria remains the number one killer epidemic in Uganda, surpassing the recent COVID-19 pandemic in terms of fatalities. 

She revealed that the government has launched an aggressive five-year strategic plan under the Ministry of Health to eliminate malaria from Uganda.

A key component of this master plan includes the recently launched malaria vaccination campaign, which kicked off in Apac District earlier this month. 

The minister also commended the people of Lango for embracing the vaccine and urged them to continue spreading awareness, especially to those who are less informed.

Dr Jimmy Opigo, Assistant Commissioner for Health Services at the National Malaria Elimination Division (NMED), echoed the minister’s call. He noted that the Ministry of Health, in collaboration with the Ministry of Education, is now training schoolchildren on malaria prevention strategies to ensure a more informed generation.

He added that the campaign has also engaged Parliament, civil society organizations, and other key institutions to increase awareness and mobilization in the fight against malaria.

Representing Lira City Mayor Sam Atul, Deputy Mayor Rebecca Alwedo Ogole praised the government’s efforts to eliminate malaria. She welcomed the availability of malaria vaccines in public health facilities and called on political leaders across Lango Sub-region to step up awareness campaigns.

“The disbursement of malaria vaccine doses now poses a challenge to leaders to sensitize the public and ensure the program is embraced. This is our final solution to eliminating malaria,” Alwedo said.

Dr Andrew Odur, Director of Lira Regional Referral Hospital and Chairperson of the event's organizing committee, expressed concern over the growing number of infants suffering from malaria in Lango. He said the trend has significantly increased the region's infant mortality rate.

He lauded Minister Aceng for championing the vaccination of children under five years, describing it as a key intervention in reducing child deaths linked to malaria. 

He also called on parents across Lango to embrace the program, which will see the vaccines distributed to all public health facilities in the region.

A recent 2025 study on malaria prevalence in Uganda placed Lango Sub-region among the most affected, with a disease prevalence rate of 23%. 

The study, conducted in 12 health centers and involving 760 caregivers of children admitted with severe malaria, revealed a concerning rate of readmissions within six months of initial discharge.

The findings underscore the urgent need for comprehensive malaria interventions and a collective community response to eliminate the disease.