Malaria Remains Primary Cause of Death in Uganda, Health Official Says

Malaria remains the primary cause of illness and death in Uganda, especially among children, Francis Omaswa, the country's Director General for Health Services, said on Oct. 27 during the final day of the second National Health Assembly in Kampala, Uganda, Xinhua News Agency reports. Last year, approximately 80,000 people in the country died of the disease, and the Ministry of Health reported a total of 126 malaria-related deaths from Oct. 3 to Oct. 9 2004. Over the same week, 163,888 malaria cases were reported, according to health ministry figures. Omaswa "encouraged" the use of mosquito nets and early treatment in order to curb the spread of the disease, according to Xinhua News Agency (Xinhua News Agency, 10/27).