President Yoweri Museveni has reiterated his call for researchers to work on a scientific method to destroy mosquito larvae as one of the best methods to eliminate mosquitoes including using bacteria and herbs. “The solution to kill the mosquito is to destroy it at larvae stage,” he said during a dinner hosted by the Chairperson of the African Leaders Malaria Alliance (ALMA) President Jakaya Mrisho Kikwete of the United Republic of Tanzania at the African Union Village in Sipopo, Equatorial Guinea.

ALMA is an alliance of African Heads of State working to end malaria-related deaths. It was founded by the leaders to utilize their individual and collective power to keep malaria high on the political and policy agenda at the global, national and local levels President Kikwete hosted the luncheon at the sidelines of the 17th, Ordinary Summit of the assembly of the Africa Union taking place in the capital Malabo on Bioko Island during which a report on the achievements and challenges of the ALMA scorecard was presented to the heads of state showing significant progress towards the achievement of the universal coverage of key malaria interventions but calling for further strengthening of funding for the alliance to ensure that these impressive signs are sustained and universal coverage is reached.

Uganda is already working on a biological method to kill mosquito larvae and is also experimenting with scientifically tested local herbs to kill the mosquito. President Yoweri Museveni is one of the four African leaders who received awards for their exemplary leadership in accelerating and sustaining access to malaria control and treatment commodities at a high level meeting of ALMA in Addis Ababa this year.

Recipients of the awards are leaders that have banned the importation and use of oral artemisinin-based monotherapies which cause drug resistance that weakens the effectiveness of the recommended malaria treatments. Additionally, they have also removed tariffs on essential commodities used in the fight against malaria. Other countries included Guinea, Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania.