Malaria and the need for accurate diagnosis and prompt treatment
Over half the out-patients who visit Hope Clinic Lukuli report having a fever, diarrhoea, nausea and occasionally vomiting. These may not all be malaria caused by parasites transmitted through mosquito bites, but these symptoms are the greatest cause of death in sub-Saharan Africa. To the community, these symptoms mean 'Omusujja' - fever.

Uganda is blessed with heavy rainfall, fertile soil and many lakes and rivers. In Kampala, these contribute to perfect habits for mosquito to breed but also means food stays fresh and safe for a short time. The lack of any planned waste disposal or sewer system in the smallest town or largest city means water sources can be contaminated. Any of these can lead to fever symptoms, which can kill in hours or a few days, and at the least mean missing school or work. Hope Clinic Lukuli can mitigate the symptoms and give accurate diagnosis and then treat the cause of the fever or diarrhoea. Our lab staff work from 8am to 10pm and we use Malaria Rapid Diagnostic Tests (RDT) at night.

Preventing malaria is essential - use a net	Fevers can end a pregnancy	Omusujja (fever) gwe nsiri (from mosquito?) - Diagnose First

Malaria, each year, kills 70-110,000 Ugandans per the Ministry of Health. Malaria accounts for 20- 23% of all deaths among children under five. Many of these children are at increased risk due to lack of access to timely and appropriate malaria treatment. The critical role for Hope Clinic Lukuli is to have the oral rehydration solutions available to rehydrate the patient and replace sugars and body salts, to educate patients and guardians on use of cooling baths and simple syrups to reduce the core body temperature, and to bring the patient for diagnosis. As a recognised partner to government, we stock and distribute free of charge ACT called Coartem to malaria sufferers.

Our desire is to expand the availability of RDTs throughout the community at every drug shop where a patient might try to self-prescribe and guess the cause of the fever. Through The Global Fund Round 10, Uganda will implement its policy for RDTs at health centres III and we hope that we will be able to bring those free RDTs to our community.