Published By BHF | June 20, 2025
By: Tatumwa Desmond Benjamin
Nawanyingi, Iganga District – In the Island Busoga, a bold grassroots movement is gaining momentum. Today, in Nawanyingi Subcounty, local Publicity Secretaries representing youth, veterans, and women’s groups came together in a high-energy mobilization meeting to step up the fight against malaria.
The gathering, organized under the Busoga Malaria Eradication Program (BMEP) with technical guidance from the Busoga Health Forum (BHF), served to prepare local leaders for a mass indoor residual spraying (IRS) exercise scheduled for this Wednesday. The focus was clear: equip grassroots mobilizers with the right tools and information to educate communities, dispel fears, and rally every household to participate.
But the urgency of this initiative is not without context. Across Uganda, the fight against malaria has been shaped by both science and lived experience. One of the most powerful examples comes from Dr. Speciosa Wandira Kazibwe, Uganda’s former Vice President. Years ago, while on a visit to the Kalangala islands, she was struck by a severe case of malaria. What began as a routine trip turned into a life-threatening ordeal. She was rushed into intensive care, battling for survival in a hospital bed. That close brush with death shifted her perspective and her mission. After recovering, Dr. Kazibwe committed herself to malaria advocacy with fierce resolve, determined that no Ugandan should suffer what she did. Her story continues to inspire national efforts, including the kind of community-driven campaigns unfolding in Busoga today.
In Nawanyingi, the fight is personal and deeply local. Residents have gone beyond attending meetings; they’ve mobilized their own resources. Through a homegrown initiative known as the Nawanyingi Investment Forum, the community is actively funding logistics, community engagement, and support for the spraying teams. It is a rare model of community-led health action one where the people themselves are both funders and implementers.
The session was attended by the Assistant District Health Officer (ADHO) Dr. Kharim Mwebaza Muluya, local health personnel, and BHF leadership. Key training areas included safe spray preparation, hygiene, and public communication. Publicity Secretaries, like Mr. Isabirye Ayubu (Veterans) and Mr. Kyowola Michael (Youth), pledged to mobilize their communities door-to-door. Mr. Damulira Sulaiman, emphasized the importance of truth and clarity in messaging:
“People trust us. Let’s make sure we’re telling them the truth.”
Concerns were raised—about safety, reactions to the insecticide, and long-term benefits. Health officers addressed them all openly. The spray, they explained, is safe, effective, and essential to breaking the cycle of transmission.
Subcounty Chairperson Ndhaaye Yakubu closed the meeting with a powerful call for unity:
“We’ve engaged every cultural, religious, and local leader. This is our fight. And we will win it together.”
According to the BHF Strategy 2025–2028, the BMEP aims to reach 880,000 households and over 4 million people across 11 districts through an integrated approach of mass mobilization, mass spraying, mass testing, and mass treatment.
In places like Nawanyingi, the program is more than a strategy, it is a people-powered movement. A reminder that when communities lead, real change is not only possible, it is unstoppable.
