Luwero Records 33 Malaria Deaths, 43 From Diabetes

Updated by Faith Barbara N Ruhinda at 1441 EAT on Monday 31 August 2026

At least 33 people died from malaria in Luwero District during the 2025/2026 financial year, with children under five accounting for more than half of the recorded deaths.

The Luwero District Health Report for the 2025/26 financial year shows that children under five accounted for 18 of the 33 malaria-related deaths recorded during the period, while 15 deaths were among people aged five years and above.

Diabetes mellitus was the leading cause of death, claiming 43 lives, followed by malaria with 33 deaths. Tuberculosis (TB) was the third leading cause, responsible for 29 deaths, while urinary tract infections (UTIs) accounted for 23 deaths out of the 279 deaths recorded in the district during the financial year.

Confirmed malaria cases in Luwero District have fluctuated over the years, with 189,881 cases recorded in the 2025/26 financial year. This compares with 219,986 cases in 2020/21, 220,205 in 2021/22, 168,430 in 2022/23, 192,594 in 2023/24 and 217,420 in 2024/25.

Luwero District Health Officer (DHO), Dr Innocent Nkonwa, attributed some of the malaria-related deaths to delays in seeking healthcare, inappropriate treatment practices and patients arriving at health facilities when their conditions had already deteriorated.

The district is also strengthening Integrated Community Case Management (iCCM), a programme that enables malaria patients in rural communities to be tested and treated closer to their homes by trained community health extension workers.

Bamunanika County MP Robert Ssekitoleko acknowledged the district’s progress in controlling malaria but called for intensified community sensitisation on malaria prevention and early treatment.

He said delays in seeking treatment often allow malaria infections to worsen, increasing the risk of complications and, in some cases, death.

Mukiibi said LC1 leaders would soon oversee the distribution of mosquito nets to households in villages across the sub-county.

He expressed optimism that the distribution, coupled with sustained community sensitisation on the proper use of mosquito nets and the importance of seeking treatment early, would help reduce malaria infections and deaths in the area.

-Observer

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