By Faith Barbara N Ruhinda
KAMPALA, UGANDA — Children Voices Against Malaria Uganda (CVAMU) will hold its inaugural Bye Bye Malaria Schools Festival at Marriott Hotel in Kampala on November 20, 2026, bringing together children, schools, health partners and communities in a renewed campaign to raise awareness about malaria prevention and access to health services.
The festival will be held under the theme, “My Day, My Rights: My Health, My Future,” and will coincide with World Children’s Day, which is observed annually on November 20.
World Children’s Day commemorates the adoption of the Declaration of the Rights of the Child by the United Nations General Assembly in 1959 and the Convention on the Rights of the Child in 1989.
Speaking at the launch of the festival, CVAMU Executive Director Henry Lutwama said malaria remains a serious threat to children’s health, education and family welfare.
He said malaria can cause severe illness, disrupt learning, increase school absenteeism and place additional financial pressure on families.
Lutwama emphasised the importance of equipping children with accurate information, supportive adults and access to proven malaria prevention measures and health services.
“Schools provide an important platform for helping children learn, develop healthy practices and share correct information with their families,” Lutwama said.
He added that CVAMU is building a child-led movement aimed at bringing together schools, learners, teachers, families and partners in the fight against malaria.
“Children’s Voices Against Malaria Uganda is building a bold, child-led movement that will unite schools, learners, teachers, families and partners in the fight against malaria. The movement will be officially launched on 20 November 2026, in commemoration of World Children’s Day, placing children’s voices, leadership and right to health at the centre of malaria elimination,” he said.
According to Lutwama, the initiative will use School Malaria Clubs, education, advocacy and practical prevention activities to empower children to become active participants in malaria prevention within their schools and communities.
CVAMU says the festival will provide children with an opportunity to share their experiences, raise awareness and participate in practical efforts aimed at reducing malaria infections.
Katrina Joyce Bakka, a malaria champion, said children have an important role to play in the fight against the disease.
“This festival gives us an opportunity, as children, to share experiences on how to fight malaria because, in the end, we are the most vulnerable,” Bakka said.
Malaria remains a major public health challenge
The festival comes at a time when malaria remains a significant public health concern in Uganda.
Regional health bulletins published in August 2026 indicated continued high malaria transmission in several parts of the country, with the Mbale and Lango regions among areas reporting particularly high transmission.
Paediatric malaria prevalence in some parts of Lango was reported at between 32% and 60%, highlighting the continuing burden among children.
Broader national data finalised in 2026 also indicated that childhood malaria prevalence had risen to 13%, compared with 10% in previous survey cycles.
Health authorities and experts have pointed to several factors that may contribute to malaria transmission, including changing weather patterns, rising temperatures and inconsistent use of mosquito nets.
In late August, medical and laboratory specialists also raised concerns about an increase in severe malaria cases and rapid clinical deterioration among some school-age children.
Festival aligns with national malaria strategy
The CVAMU festival comes as Uganda implements the Uganda Malaria Elimination Strategic Plan 2026–2030, which seeks to strengthen interventions aimed at reducing malaria transmission, illness and deaths.
As part of national malaria-control efforts, the Ministry of Health has expanded Seasonal Malaria Chemoprevention (SMC), an intervention involving the intermittent administration of protective antimalarial medicines to children in areas with highly seasonal malaria transmission.
The intervention, previously focused on children under five in selected areas, has been extended to children up to 10 years of age in areas with highly seasonal transmission, including Karamoja.
Lutwama said CVAMU’s campaign will complement national efforts by equipping children with practical knowledge and encouraging them to promote malaria prevention measures at home, in schools and throughout their communities.
The organisers hope the inaugural Bye Bye Malaria Schools Festival will establish a platform where children can not only learn about malaria but also contribute their ideas, experiences and leadership to the country’s broader malaria-elimination efforts.
With children at the centre of the campaign, CVAMU says the initiative is intended to transform malaria awareness from a health message into a practical, community-led movement involving learners, teachers, families and health partners.
