Health 12 March 2026 Daily Monitor (Uganda)
Uganda Faces Rising Malaria Rates in New Epicenters Despite 2030 Elimination Goal
Uganda's malaria prevalence among children under five has climbed to 13 percent in 2025 from 10 percent in 2018, according to the latest Uganda Malaria Indicator Survey, with the Lango sub-region hit hardest at 32 percent. Officials urge intensified action amid ongoing investments and a long-term push to eradicate the disease by 2030. Source: https://www.monitor.co.ug/uganda/news/national/new-epicenters-govt-reports-surge-in-malaria-prevalence-5389462
Uganda’s efforts to eliminate malaria by 2030 have hit a snag, as the newly released Uganda Malaria Indicator Survey (UMIS) 2024/2025 reveals a rise in prevalence among children under five, from 10 percent in 2018 to 13 percent in 2025.
Launched by the Uganda Bureau of Statistics (Ubos) in Kampala, the survey covered 9,458 households nationwide, with fieldwork from late November 2024 to early February 2025. It involved rapid diagnostic tests on young children, microscopy, and PCR analysis of blood samples, plus interviews with women aged 15-49 on prevention knowledge.
Regional disparities are stark: Lango leads at 32 percent prevalence, followed by Karamoja (26 percent), Acholi and Teso (23 percent), and Busoga (21 percent). In contrast, Kampala, Buganda South, Ankole, and Kigezi report just 1-2 percent. Poorer households face 23 percent rates, versus 2 percent in wealthier ones, linked to housing and mosquito exposure.
Children under five and pregnant women remain most vulnerable due to low immunity. Only 71 percent of pregnant women express concern over malaria’s effects, and preventive drug use lags. Additionally, 16 percent of households lack insecticide-treated nets.
State Minister for Planning Amos Lugoloobi highlighted investments but called for probing implementation gaps, noting progress from 45 percent in 2009. Malaria drains the economy, costing Shs2.4 trillion yearly in lost productivity and treatment—government spends nearly Shs552 billion annually, with households facing Shs50,000-200,000 per case.
In 2024/25, hospitals managed 10 million malaria outpatient cases, 675,154 admissions, and 2,198 deaths. Experts like WHO’s Dr. Kasonde Mwinga and Makerere’s Dr. Richard Idro point to rainfall, climate, and regional factors like Lango’s swamps as possible drivers, urging zero-tolerance action.
Lugoloobi advocates indoor residual spraying alongside nets, despite debates over environmental impacts and mosquito resistance.
This article is based on reporting from Daily Monitor (Uganda).