Article by Maddie Sjolund, Social Media Manager, Malaria Partners International

The Rotary Club of Kyengera implemented the Kyengera-Nabazziza Malaria Control Project to address the high malaria prevalence, 13%, in Kyengera Town Council, Uganda. The Rotarians secured funding through our Small Grants Program to begin this 3-year project.

One key aspect of this project promotes proper waste management at the Nabazziza Market. This is being conducted through sensitization programs and garbage bin distributions with the 250 local market vendors. In addition, Village Health Care Teams (VHTs) and Rotarians are meeting with market vendors in their households to discuss malaria prevention.

What do garbage bins and waste management have to do with malaria? Well, garbage bags harbor liquid, and mosquitoes breed in stagnant pools of water. By engaging the community in malaria sensitization programs and providing waste management tools like garbage bins, people can learn about the environments mosquitoes thrive in, and how to get rid of them.

Before the Kyengera-Nabazziza Malaria Control Project was implemented, vendors at the Nabazziza Market collected trash in sacks, placed it next to their stalls, and waited for a truck to make its weekly pickup.

Throughout the week, perishables in the sacks would decompose, leaving a stench and running waste. Then, the waste would flow into trenches around the market. This waste threatens the health of the vendors and market attenders, as mosquitoes use these environments for breeding.

The project launch event was an opportunity to share information on malaria prevention with the community. The event included a market cleaning, the distribution of solid waste disposal bins for vendors, and a sensitization program on proper garbage disposal.

Since the event in July, the project has reported improvements in the garbage disposal at the market. The organized market cleaning sessions have improved sanitation and hygiene in the market. However, the vendors still face the challenge of a once-a-week trash pickup.

This 3-year project aims to reduce malaria prevalence in Kyengera Town Council, Uganda from 13% to 7%. Ongoing activities, like waste management interventions, increase the community's awareness of malaria and prevention practices. This project also provides 18 Village Health Care Teams with two yearly refresher training programs on the integrated management of childhood illnesses.



Thank you to our generous donors who continue to support our Small Grants Program, making projects like this happen. Your donation empowers Rotary Clubs in malaria-endemic regions to take direct action in controlling the spread of this disease in their community. 



All donations are matched 1:1 by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. Donations over $100 will also be matched by our Board Matching Fund. As Uganda faces a wave of COVID-19 and Ebola, we need your support for small grant projects more now than ever.