Highlighting the Historical, Current, and Future Challenges to Control and Eradicate Malaria in Uganda - A Narrative Review

Abstract

Background: For the last century, malaria has caused a serious developmental setback to African countries. Historically, In Uganda, the control of malaria and its eradication challenges can be traced for more than 100 years ago especially the control and elimination activities connected to research and malaria control between1892 to 1949. During the early part of the 21st century, malaria received global health priority recognition until 1998 when the World Health organization (WHO) adopted a Rollback strategy. Currently, In May 2015, The World Health Organization (WHO) adopted a global Strategy for Malaria 2016-2030. This ambitious strategy apparently challenged by the fact that current tools are not adequate to achieve the planned targets. The future challenges to eradicate malaria are also real and need urgent solutions. Methods: We searched Cochrane Libraries, EMBASE, Google Scholar, and unpublished ministry of health Uganda reports. Objectives: To assess the historical, current and future challenges to malaria control and eradication and propose solutions to address them. Results: Uganda has failed to eradicate malaria in the past century, due to challenges like lack of political commitment, limited resources for eradication programs, rampant history of antimalarial drug resistance, chronic and persistent antimalarial stock-outs in public facilities, resistance by parasites to ITNs and fragmentation in the coordination. Findings reveal that the past challenges still exist and are likely to last for more than a decade unless measures are in place to mitigate them. Uganda will face challenges in implementing newer effective interventions in future as well as the history of malaria eradication challenges may keep repeating itself. Conclusion: The historical challenges in the eradication of malaria in Uganda are still affecting the current plans to eradicate malaria. Uganda may not eradicate malaria in next the15 years, basing on its current and future challenges ahead.