Kampala — Local leaders in a recent march for peace. Journey for Life is planning a similar walk against malaria

A FUNDRAISING walk is being organised from Kampala to Gulu to call for the end of malaria and the war in the North. The 480 km march dubbed 'Journey For Life', is organised by Congress of Racial Equality (CORE-Uganda) and Charity Walkers International. It is scheduled for September 20-30.

"The walk is aimed at sensitising Ugandans on efforts of the Government, the Ministry of Health, NGOs and others, to eradicate malaria, the number one killer disease in Uganda," said a statement from CORE-Uganda, signed by Fiona Kobusingye, the chaiperson of CORE-Uganda.

Kobusingye, who is also the co-ordinator Great Lakes Region, said in spite of efforts to rid Uganda of this preventable and curable disease, malaria continues to kill 320 to 350 people daily. She hopes the march will attract the 'eyes of the world' onto Uganda for the 10 days in September, to the fact that around two million people still remain in Internally Displaced Camps because of the war.

Apart from sensitising people about malaria prevention, the Journey For Life hopes to raise $3m (sh4,950b), which is the cost of spraying two districts with DDT. It will also be a statement calling for the immediate return of all internally displaced people to their homes.

"Everybody is invited to take the whole or part of the walk from the source of the Nile to the war-torn North," Kobusingye said.

The KMMN Brigade Walkers and Charity Walkers International from the US will form the core group to be joined by others from around the world.

The walk starts with The Wamala Concert on August 25-26, the Malaria Heroes Dinner on September 19, the Hoima concert, September 25, halfway through the trek and the Gulu gathering of September 30.