Anthony Bugembe
24 November 2008
Kampala — THE Government plans to distribute 17 million mosquito nets to fight malaria, the health state minister has said.
Emmanuel Otaala said the new consignment is expected in January 2009.
It will compliment the six million nets that the Government has given out to pregnant women and children under five.
"The ministry will promote intermittent preventive treatment. This will ensure that mothers receive at least two doses of anti-malarial drugs during pregnancy," he said.
Otaala was closing the international students' conference on malaria at Hotel Africana on Saturday.
He described those opposed to the use of DDT as unpatriotic.
"We should not be fooled. Those countries that are saying we should not use DDT, don't they grow cotton organically? You cannot compare what we are earning from organic cotton to the loss we suffer as a result of malaria," he said.
Citing the examples of South Africa and Ethiopia, Otaala argued that 16 African countries were using DDT and their people were healthy.
In February, the health ministry launched indoor residual spraying of DDT in Apac and Oyam districts.
The High Court stopped the exercise in May following a petition by environment activists.
Dr. Myers Lugemwa, the acting head of the malaria control programme, vowed to resign if the Government lost the case on DDT spraying.
About 2.7 million Ugandans risk catching malaria each year, while 320 die from the disease daily.
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