The Minister of Health, Dr. Ruth Aceng, has disputed claims by the Members of Parliament on the health committee, who have revealed that her ministry has failed to oversee the distribution of mosquito nets to certain districts across the country.

During a meeting with the health committee and the National Medical Stores to address important issues in the medical sector on August 23, 2024, the Members of Parliament tasked the Minister of Health to explain why her ministry failed this project, specifically in Gulu.

Minister Aceng retaliated by disputing this claim, insisting that every district in Uganda received its share of nets.

“The entire country received nets in mass distribution, and similarly, all facilities receive nets for pregnant women and children. What is true is that Northern Uganda has more malaria than any other region due to the fact that anopheles’ gambiae is seasonal. Anopheles funesters covers northern Uganda as well and is perennial throughout the year. They will still have malaria, but they should not tell a lie that they did not receive a net,” said Acheng.

Isaac Otim, the team legislator for Pader sub-county, disclosed that during an oversight visit to Gulu, the director of the Gulu Regional Referral Hospital reported that they had not received the said mosquito nets.

The committee members therefore recommended that the minister investigate the discrepancy to uncover the whereabouts of the mosquito nets intended for Gulu City.

The initiative to distribute mosquito nets is led by the Ministry of Health, which tasked National Medical Stores to handle the procurement, storage, and transportation of the mosquito nets because of their capacity to reach the entire country.

This initiative started in 2020 with various campaigns to distribute mosquito nets across the country, and it started with the districts of eastern Uganda and parts of Lango being distributed door to door by the village health teams assisted by local area leaders.