Uganda sees huge scale-up of intervention targeting three main childhood diseases

Sheema, Uganda, 25 August 2015 – Today, the Ugandan President Gen. Yoweri Kaguta Museveni launched a new Integrated Community Case Management (iCCM) programme funded by the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria. The Global Fund has supported health care delivery in Uganda for many years and its current US$4.6 million commitment, complemented by the government of Uganda, is extending iCCM to 33 new districts that contribute up to 36 percent of the estimated under-five mortality in the country.

iCCM is a simple and cost-effective intervention targeting the three main childhood diseases, which together, are responsible for more than 61 percent of mortality of children under five in Uganda: malaria, pneumonia and diarrhoea. An estimated total under-five population of 2.45 million in 16,689 villages will benefit from this programme.

The event saw the participation of the Minister of Health Dr. Elioda Tumwesigye, other cabinet ministers, members of parliament, the United Nations Country Representative, Global Fund representatives, Ministry of Health (MOH) officials and district officials.

For over a decade, Malaria Consortium has focused on supporting the MOH and a number of districts in the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of malaria, including supporting the implementation of iCCM in 17 districts.  For this new Global Fund programme, we will provide support in coordinating and implementing key scale-up activities.

“The work of the MOH, Malaria Consortium and partners is responsible for the significant reduction in the prevalence of malaria from 42 percent to 19 percent, as shown by the malaria indicator survey conducted late last year,” said Dr Godfrey Magumba, Malaria Consortium Country Director in Uganda.

Dr Magumba, speaking at the event on behalf of the development partners, called upon the Ugandan government to continue its efforts to scale up iCCM in the country and ensure that by 2020, the Ugandan villages with greater public health need would benefit of this effective health intervention.  

Keywords: Maternal, neonatal and child health | Advocacy and policy | Community delivery

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