Agnes Kiconco

KIU, Main Campus - The Minister for Health, Dr. Jane Ruth Aceng revealed that government will roll out the malaria vaccine at the end of 2023.

The revelation is one of the measures to prevent malaria, and promote good health and well-being.

"We are ready for implementation of the malaria vaccine. It may be introduced at the end of next year and is mainly for children. It is not 100 per cent effective but we appreciate that it could bring the burden of malaria down," Aceng said.

She added that the money that is spent on malaria is currently donor funded and from partnerships.

"We spend over $120 million on malaria treatment annually with majorly donor support. We have also gone into partnerships with the private sector and Rotary who support various interventions," the Minister added.

Also, Sarah Opendi, Tororo District MP said that malaria is the leading killer disease in Uganda.

"The WHO 2020 report indicates that 30,000 people have died of malaria in Uganda. Efforts have been made by the ministry on sensitization of the public about malaria but the challenge is limited funding for interventions to deal with the disease," Opendi said.