SafeBoda, private sector companies join forces in Malaria fight

In commemoration of the upcoming World Malaria Day, several leading companies in Uganda have joined forces with Malaria Free Uganda to raise public awareness about malaria prevention and control.

SafeBoda, Jumia, Cafe Javas, Uganda Baati, Uganda Breweries Ltd, and Next Media have announced a joint effort to support the government’s efforts in the fight against malaria through various activities in their respective areas of work throughout this Malaria awareness month.

Malaria is a preventable and treatable disease, is the leading cause of death and continues to pose a significant public health challenge in Uganda. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), Uganda had an estimated 15 million cases of malaria in 2021 up from 13 million the previous year, and approximately 20,000 deaths in in the same year. The burden of Malaria disproportionately affects vulnerable populations, including children under five years of age who constitute 80% of death and pregnant women.

The partnering companies recognize the urgent need to combat malaria and are committed to playing a role in malaria prevention and control efforts. They aim to raise awareness about the importance of Malaria prevention measures such as the use of insecticide-treated bed nets, indoor residual spraying, and timely access to malaria diagnosis and treatment.

As part of their joint efforts, SafeBoda, Jumia, Cafe Javas, Uganda Baati, Uganda Breweries Ltd, and Next Media will conduct various public awareness activities in their respective areas of work and communications channels. These include disseminating educational messages through their social media platforms, hosting community events, using their services Apps, service discounts, in-branch branding with Malaria messages, community outreach and using their wide-ranging networks to reach as many people as possible with critical malaria prevention messages.

“We are proud to join forces with Malaria Free Uganda in the fight against Malaria,” said representatives from the partnering companies.

“As socially responsible businesses, we recognize the importance of public-private partnerships in addressing complex public health challenges such as malaria that affect our customers and the Ugandan economy at large. We are committed to using our platforms and resources to raise awareness about Malaria prevention and control measures, and we encourage other businesses to join us in this important cause.”

The joint efforts of the companies are aligned with Ministry of Health’s Malaria elimination and reduction strategic plan. The strategy emphasizes a multisectoral approach to the malaria fight and this includes mobilizing the private sector to actively participate in malaria prevention and control efforts.

Malaria Free Uganda is a business leaders-led board appointed by the Minster of Health to bridge the gap between government and the private sector, to accelerate progress towards malaria elimination in Uganda. This joint initiative is part of the efforts to mobilise more private to support government in fighting the deadly disease.

The partnering companies are excited to contribute to the fight against malaria and to support the government’s efforts to reduce the burden of this preventable disease in Uganda. They urge the public to join them in taking action to prevent and control Malaria, and to commemorate World Malaria Day by spreading awareness about the importance of Malaria prevention measures.