While opening a joint meeting of the Seasonal Malaria Chemoprevention (SMC) Alliance and the Alliance for Malaria Prevention at Speke Resort Munyonyo, Kampala, Tayebwa urged political leaders to complement technical malaria control efforts with firm policy action and funding commitments.
The meeting brought together experts and policymakers from more than 29 African countries.
“As politicians, we must match the dedication of technocrats with firm political will, stronger parliamentary oversight, and increased domestic financing,” Tayebwa said, noting that the Ugandan government has prioritized funding for the health sector, including malaria control.
Malaria remains a leading cause of death across Africa, particularly among children and pregnant women. Tayebwa warned that treating it as anything less than a major continental threat would be a serious misstep.
In his role as President of the Organisation of African, Caribbean and Pacific States Parliamentary Assembly, which brings together 79 parliaments, Tayebwa pledged to push for malaria to feature prominently at upcoming meetings in Côte d’Ivoire and at the Heads of State Summit in Equatorial Guinea.
He stressed the importance of cross-border coordination, warning that “If Uganda continues to struggle with malaria while Kenya eliminates it, none of us is safe,” and highlighted climate change as a growing factor complicating mosquito control and transmission patterns.
The meeting aims to strengthen regional coordination and accelerate progress toward eliminating malaria across Africa.