China gifts Uganda Shs4b malaria drugs prove of Africa comfortable with beggar status

Uganda has said the anti-malaria medicines worth 1.1 million U.S. dollars donated by China will greatly help curb the epidemic in the east African country.

Health Minister Jane Ruth Aceng said the country last year experienced an upsurge in cases of malaria, which spread to more than half of the districts across Uganda.

Aceng was speaking Friday after receiving the consignment of drugs from the Chinese Ambassador to Uganda, Zhang Lizhong, at the National Medical Stores in Kajjansi, central district of Wakiso, a district in the Central Region of Uganda.

“As a country we are at high risk of malaria due to our climatic conditions. Uganda is also the 3rd highest contributor of malaria cases (5.4 percent) and 7th highest contributor of malaria deaths globally (2.9 percent),” Aceng said.

“Therefore, this generous donation of anti-malarial drugs will be helpful in the fight against malaria and control of the malaria epidemic, especially in prone areas,” the minister said.

According to the minister, the most affected populations included children, pregnant women and people who live in rural and hard-to-reach areas.