Uganda eyes bold new Chinese plan to crush malaria

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Uganda’s fight against malaria may be entering a more urgent phase, with Deputy Speaker Thomas Tayebwa warning that the gains may be lost.

He warned that while the country made notable progress in reducing malaria over recent years, fresh data now suggests some of those gains are beginning to slip, a reversal that could carry consequences far beyond hospitals and clinics.

In a post published on his official X account on April 28, Tayebwa said he had held what he described as a productive meeting with Health Minister Dr Jane Ruth Aceng and a delegation led by Mr Pan Longhua from the New South Institute of Traditional Chinese Medicine. The discussions focused on a proposed anti-malaria strategy known as the Fast Elimination of Malaria by Source Eradication, or FEMSE.

“I held a productive engagement with Dr Jane Ruth Aceng, the Minister of Health and a delegation led by Mr Pan Longhua, from the New South Institute of Traditional Chinese Medicine, who have presented to us the Fast Elimination of Malaria by Source Eradication (FEMSE) initiative,” Tayebwa wrote.

The meeting comes as malaria remains one of Uganda’s most persistent public health burdens. It continues to dominate caseloads in many health facilities, placing pressure on households, schools, workplaces and the wider economy.

“We discussed our progress and the urgent need for renewed, collective action to end malaria,” Tayebwa said.

His comments suggest concern at the highest levels of government that previous momentum may be weakening.

“Uganda has made significant strides in reducing the malaria burden; however, recent data from the Malaria Indicator Survey shows we are beginning to reverse the gains. This calls for stronger coordination, increased investment, and a more deliberate, united approach.”

That warning matters because malaria control is often fragile. Gains built over years through spraying, testing and treatment can quickly diminish when funding slows, mosquito resistance grows, or public compliance weakens.

Tayebwa said the FEMSE model could offer a more coordinated path forward. He described it as an approach built on global lessons, including China’s malaria elimination experience through mass drug administration, mass prevention, early diagnosis and early treatment.

“Therefore, initiatives such as the Fast Elimination of Malaria by Source Eradication (FEMSE) model, which builds on global best practices, including China’s successful elimination journey driven by Mass Drug Administration, Mass Prevention and Early diagnosis, and Early Treatment, are welcome.”

He also pointed to Comoros as an example of what aggressive intervention can achieve.

“The results seen in countries like Comoros, where cases have reduced by up to 98% after adopting the model, demonstrate that elimination is achievable.”

Uganda already deploys several established tools against malaria, including test, treat and track systems, indoor residual spraying, larviciding and chemoprophylaxis. But Tayebwa acknowledged that success has been constrained by familiar obstacles.

“Our own experience shows that interventions such as test, treat and track, indoor residual spraying, Laviciding and chemoprophylaxis are effective but remain limited by funding gaps, Commodity supply constraints, and behavioural challenges.”

Those constraints are often felt most sharply in rural communities, where access to prevention tools and timely treatment can determine whether malaria becomes a manageable illness or a life-threatening emergency.

Tayebwa linked the disease directly to Uganda’s economic future.

“Malaria continues to account for the majority of cases in many of our health facilities, affecting productivity, livelihoods, and national development.”

He argued that the FEMSE partnership could help move Uganda from isolated interventions to a unified national campaign.

“With the FEMSE partnership, we can move from fragmented efforts to a fully coordinated national response.”

To advance that goal, he said he had proposed a national dialogue followed by a high-level roundtable bringing together scientists, policymakers and development partners to agree on a practical elimination agenda.

“I have proposed a national dialogue, followed by a high-level roundtable, to bring together scientists, policymakers, and partners to agree on a clear, actionable elimination agenda.”

He added that Uganda would continue engaging international partners to secure support for scaling proven interventions.