Parliament leads National Malaria Walk as Uganda battles persistent disease burden
Thousands of Ugandans, including members of Parliament, government officials, development partners, civil society groups, private companies, and local community members, took part in the 2026 Parliamentary Malaria Walk over the weekend, a national campaign aimed at accelerating efforts to end preventable malaria deaths.
Malaria remains Uganda's leading cause of illness, accounting for an estimated 30 to 40 percent of outpatient visits and up to 20 percent of hospital admissions annually, according to figures cited at the event. The disease disproportionately affects children under five and pregnant women.
This year's walk was held under the theme "No One Should Die of Malaria." Deputy Speaker of Parliament Thomas Tayebwa, who served as Chief Walker, called for a coordinated national response. "Malaria remains one of the greatest threats to our nation's future because it continues to keep our children out of school and places an enormous burden on families and our health system," he said, calling on government, the private sector, development partners, and communities to strengthen prevention, diagnosis, and treatment efforts.
Among the private sector participants was KCB Bank Uganda, whose staff joined the walk as part of the bank's public health and community engagement efforts. Noela Byuma, the bank's Head of Marketing and Communications, said the private sector has a role to play in tackling the disease. "Malaria is an economic and social issue that affects families, businesses and the nation's productivity," she said. "We are proud to stand alongside Parliament, government, development partners and fellow corporate organisations in supporting efforts to eliminate malaria."
The Parliamentary Malaria Walk is now an annual fixture on Uganda's public health calendar, organized to mobilize government, private sector, and community action against the disease.
