Geita allocates 200m/- to destroy mosquito breeding sites in the region

GEITA: GEITA Municipal Council, in partnership with the Geita Gold Mining Limited (GGML), has allocated 200/- million to eliminate mosquito breeding sites across Geita Municipality as part of efforts to combat malaria.

The funding, provided through GGMLE’s Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) programme, will support a malaria elimination campaign targeting 1,585 identified mosquito breeding sites covering a total area of 31,874 square metres.

The Municipal Malaria Coordinator, Mr Mtashubirwa Nestory, announced the initiative during the campaign’s launch held recently in Kalangalala Ward.

Mr Nestory said the campaign aims to cover all 13 wards of Geita Municipality by applying 200 litres of larvicide and 150 litres of surface treatment chemical to destroy mosquito breeding habitats.

He said research indicates that the municipality recorded a malaria prevalence rate of 8.3pc  in 2025, while 15 malaria-related deaths were reported, representing 1.1pc.

“For the successful implementation of the program, training was provided to facilitators, all village and street executive officers from every ward, and a total of 156 community health workers received specialised training,” he said.

The Municipal Medical Officer, Dr Fredrick Mugarula, said malaria ranks as the fourth most common disease among the municipality’s 118 reported outpatient conditions.

He noted that during 2025, about 10,845 people were diagnosed with malaria, leading to severe consequences including deaths, continued transmission of the disease, and disability among children.

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Representing GGML, Dr Kiva Mvungi said the malaria elimination campaign forms part of the company’s broader commitment to safeguarding the health and well-being of communities living in and around the mining area.

The Geita District Commissioner, Hashim Komba, urged street executive officers to cooperate fully with health workers conducting the campaign in their respective areas to ensure its successful implementation and achieve positive results.