Annual Malaria Report highlights state of malaria in Uganda
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Malaria Consortium played an integral role in the producing Uganda's annual report on efforts towards reducing the malaria burden in the country.
This year marks a milestone in malaria programming in Uganda. The country's National Malaria Elimination Division published the Annual Malaria Report 2024, which provides an objective assessment of the progress for the last four years of the current strategic plan, highlighting what has and has not worked, areas for improvement and recommendations. These insights will be critical as the country embarks on the development of the next strategic plan.
“The Annual Malaria Report marks the fourth year of implementing the Uganda Malaria Reduction and Elimination Strategic Plan (UMRESP) 2021–2025. It is a statement of the collective efforts and unwavering commitment of key stakeholders — including government ministries, health development partners, civil society organisations, the private sector and communities across the country — towards reducing the malaria burden in Uganda,” said Dr Diane Atwine, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Health in Uganda.
Malaria Consortium has collaborated closely with the Ministry of Health on this critical area of work, including through the Strengthening Uganda’s Malaria Reduction and Elimination strategy (SUMRES II) project. SUMRES II is working to reduce the burden of malaria through strengthened data quality, accelerated access to malaria services — particularly among women, children and hard-to-reach communities — and improved knowledge of malaria prevention and control. Malaria Consortium’s work with the Ministry of Health has focused on strengthening the quality and use of malaria data, which formed the backbone of the Annual Report. This included technical support to improve surveillance tools, training district and health facility staff on data management, and generating timely evidence that fed into the review of Uganda’s strategic plan.
The report highlights the significant progress Uganda has made in its efforts to control and eliminate malaria in the last four years. It also highlights the need to strengthen malaria monitoring systems, such as keeping better track of medical supplies, using routine data more effectively and improving how programmes are reviewed and adjusted at all levels. Importantly, the report provides detailed analysis and evidence to support decision-making as the country embarks on its review of the UMRESP 2021–2025, as well as its development of the next strategic plan.
Malaria Consortium’s significant technical and financial support in developing this report demonstrates our shared commitment to improving health in communities and reducing inequities in accessing services. Beyond technical drafting support, Malaria Consortium also co-facilitated national consultations, supported translation of electronic health system tools into the local language, Luganda, to improve reporting by village health teams, and provided operational funding that enabled broad stakeholder engagement in the process.
These efforts ensured the report not only reflects policy-level priorities but also captures realities from districts and communities. By combining evidence with practical feedback, the organisation supports efforts to understand what’s working and how to make programmes, research and policies more effective.
“This report demonstrates what can be achieved when government, partners and communities work together with a shared vision,” says Ruth Kigozi, Monitoring and Evaluation and Knowledge Management at Malaria Consortium Uganda, and Chair of the Malaria Surveillance Monitoring Evaluation and Operations Research Technical Working Group of the National Malaria Elimination Programme in Uganda. “Malaria Consortium is proud to have collaborated with the Ministry of Health, and by bringing our technical expertise and combining it with the ministry’s leadership, we’re able to generate evidence that strengthens decision-making and helps Uganda move closer to its goals in malaria elimination.”
Malaria Consortium’s support of the development of the report is a key part of the organisation’s new strategy, which emphasises stronger national ownership as well as data-driven decision-making. As the organisation sharpens its focus on supporting governments to lead sustainable malaria responses, its contribution to the report is reflective of this goal.