What you need to know:

The US is still supporting the fight against malaria, HIV and other  diseases per the ministry

Uganda’s Health ministry has requested China to donate medicines and provide technical support for elimination of malaria, the manager of the Malaria Control Programme has revealed.

Dr Jimmy Opigo told Sunday Monitor in an interview on Thursday that they are collaborating with China because they “ended malaria and we know the strategy they used.”

Dr Opigo said Uganda is still registering unacceptably high numbers of malaria infections, with around 16 deaths happening daily. Last year, Mr Thomas Tayebwa, the Deputy Speaker of Parliament, disclosed that the country loses Shs2.4 trillion annually due to malaria.

The information about Uganda’s collaboration with China comes at a time some development partners are reducing or have warned of reducing budgetary support to the country’s health system. There have also been heightened threats of funding cuts by some of the major donors like the United States (US) government, following the enactment of the anti-homosexuality law.