Katakwi — Katakwi District has embarked on mass treatment of people with malaria and spraying of homes in a bid to combat mosquitoes that spread disease.

The LC5 chairperson, Mr Robert Ekongot, yesterday commissioned the campaign meant to benefit over 150,000 people in the 48 parishes in the nine sub-counties of the district. The campaign follows increasing cases of patients admitted with malaria at various health units in the district.

Mr Tito Okwalinga who is supervising the "war on malaria" said Icon, a biodegradable chemical would be used in the indoor residual spraying of homes. "The chemical has no controversial side effects like we have heard for the DDT," Mr Okwalinga said. "We expect the exercise to reduce malaria in the villages by 80 per cent in the next nine months," he said.

He said rapid diagnostic tests of malaria parasite in the people would be conducted district wide and those found to be carrying the parasite will be administered with Acon, a Chinese drug that has been approved by the World Health Organisation.