Residents of Buye Kikumbi Village say the registration deadline for the government’s mosquito net distribution programme is approaching before all eligible households have been reached, raising fears that some may miss out.
Residents of Buye Kikumbi Village in Busimbi Division, Mityana Municipality, have asked the government to extend the registration period for its mosquito net distribution programme, saying the time allocated is insufficient to reach all eligible households.
The residents say many people are still waiting to register despite their willingness to participate, raising concerns that some households could miss out on the mosquito nets intended to help prevent malaria.
Sarah Ngono, a health worker in Buye Kikumbi Village, said the area’s large population had made it difficult to register everyone within the allocated period.
Ngono appealed to the government to extend the exercise, saying additional days would allow health workers to reach more eligible residents.
“The days allocated for registration are not enough because we still have many people who need to be registered. Buye Kikumbi has a large population, so we are asking the government to extend the exercise to give everyone an opportunity to register and benefit from the mosquito nets,” Ngono said.
Proscovia Nabweteme, the representative of the Kabaka in Buye Kikumbi Village, also called for an extension, saying many residents had yet to complete the registration process.
She said the community was willing to participate in the programme but needed more time to ensure that eligible people were registered.
“Many people in our village have not yet registered, even though they are interested in participating in the programme. We appeal to the government to give us more time so that more residents can be registered and benefit from the mosquito nets,” Nabweteme said.
Sunday Ambrose Kafunda Byansi, the Buye Kikumbi Village chairperson, echoed the concerns, saying the registration period was too short compared with the number of residents who needed to be reached.
Byansi said the deadline was approaching while many residents were still waiting to register. He urged the authorities overseeing the programme to extend the exercise so that eligible households would not be left out.
“The time given for registration is too short, and the deadline is approaching when many people have not yet registered. We appeal to the responsible authorities to add more days so that everyone who qualifies can get an opportunity to benefit from the programme,” Byansi said.
The residents said an extension would give health workers and other officials more time to reach households and register eligible beneficiaries.
They also urged authorities to consider population sizes when setting deadlines for public health programmes.
Insecticide-treated mosquito nets are an important malaria prevention measure because they help protect people from mosquito bites, particularly at night.
Access to these nets is part of broader efforts to reduce malaria infections and deaths in Uganda.
The residents are now appealing to the government and officials overseeing the distribution programme to consider their request and provide additional time for registration.