Doctors with Africa CUAMM Uganda has launched a new project titled “ERASE – Rise against malaria project – Support for malaria prevention, diagnosis and treatment in the context of the Covid19 pandemic” covering Oyam and Kole districts in Lango region, Northern Uganda. The two-year project, supported by the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation, is aimed at strengthening malaria prevention practices and vector control in targeted communities, improving quality of health services at community and facility level, particularly enhancing the coordination with district health authorities to improve the quality of screening, treatment and follow-up services.
Oyam and Kole districts were selected for the intervention because they have a malaria incidence above the national average, with respectively 407 new cases per 1000 inhabitants in Oyam, and 361 in Kole, against an official national average of 289 new cases per 1000 inhabitants. District mortality for malaria Oyam is very high (11.37 cases per 100,000 inhabitants) while for Kole it is 0.34, in line with the national average. In this context, the population particularly affected are children U5 and pregnant women and these will be the focus of this project.
“Cooperation and good working relationships between CUAMM and Oyam over the years are evident” – stated Dr. Peter Lochoro, country manager CUAMM in Uganda -. “CUAMM is committed in reaching the last mile through district based interventions”.
Dr. Peter’s words are further reinforced by those of Don Dante Carraro, CUAMM Director.
“Doctors with Africa CUAMM, as the name of the organization suggests, works together with the existing health system and local authorities to achieve the desired goals. Only working together with the districts, we can reach the results”, added Don Dante Carraro.
During the same event, CUAMM officially opened the renovated maternity ward and the newly constructed and fully equipped extension at Anyeke health centre IV, in Oyam district. All this was made possible thanks to the support of private donors, along with “SkinLabo”, an Italian beauty company, which supported the provision of the equipment.
The launch event took place in the presence of Dr Daniel Kyabayinze, the Director of Public Health representing the Ministry of Health, and the local governments of the two districts involved. They both pledged full support to CUAMM, extending their gratitude also to the Italian Government for the continuous support to Uganda, particularly in the health sector.
