The Member of Parliament for Sironko District, Hon. Asha Mafabi Nabulo, has called on the government to strengthen malaria diagnosis and treatment services in schools, warning that poor case management is contributing to the rising burden of the disease among learners.
Speaking during Wednesday’s plenary sitting of Parliament, Nabulo said malaria prevalence has increased significantly compared to previous years, with schools now accounting for a large proportion of reported cases.
She challenged the use of outdated malaria statistics, saying the current situation is more serious than previously recorded.
“I need to clarify that the prevalence is no longer 10 percent. Those were statistics of 2019, and it has actually increased,” Nabulo told Parliament.
Her remarks came as legislators debated the growing malaria burden in Uganda, following concerns over increasing infections and deaths among school-going children due to severe malaria and delayed treatment.
Nabulo said many malaria cases are being reported in both primary and secondary schools, but the major challenge lies in how the cases are managed after learners fall sick.
“Many of these malaria cases are actually in schools, secondary schools and primary schools. Like my colleague has mentioned, the treatment method is where the problem is,” she said.
The legislator raised concern that some schools continue to treat learners presenting with malaria symptoms such as fever and headaches by giving them painkillers instead of carrying out proper diagnosis and providing appropriate medication.
“They give them Panadol for headaches alone,” Nabulo said, warning that such practices delay treatment and increase the risk of severe illness.
She urged the Ministries of Health and Education to work together to improve malaria management in schools by ensuring institutions have functional sick bays, trained health personnel, and timely access to malaria testing and treatment.
Other legislators echoed her concerns, calling for stronger interventions to protect learners from malaria, which remains one of Uganda’s leading public health challenges.
Parliament also heard that school-going children contribute significantly to malaria transmission because many carry malaria parasites without showing symptoms, allowing infections to spread within communities.
Nabulo further cited observations that people with blood group O positive may be more susceptible to mosquito bites and malaria infection.
“Unfortunately, blood group O positive are also very prone to mosquito bites and malaria,” she added.
Uganda remains among the countries most affected by malaria globally. Findings from the Uganda Malaria Indicator Survey 2024–2025 show that malaria parasite prevalence among children aged six to 59 months has risen to about 21 percent, up from 9 percent recorded in the 2018–2019 survey.
Health experts have warned that delayed treatment, limited access to diagnosis, and poor health-seeking behaviour continue to fuel severe malaria cases and preventable deaths, especially among children and adolescents.
Nabulo’s call adds to growing pressure on government to strengthen malaria prevention and treatment measures, particularly in schools where learners remain highly vulnerable to the disease.
