Minister Baryomunsi Warns Beer Drinkers and Pregnant Women Are More Attractive to Mosquitoes

Health Minister Dr. Chris Baryomunsi has revealed that pregnant women and people who consume beer are among the groups more likely to attract mosquitoes, as he called for heightened malaria prevention efforts following recent deaths linked to the disease.

Addressing Parliament on Wednesday, Baryomunsi said scientific research has identified several factors that make some people more attractive to mosquitoes than others, increasing their risk of being bitten.

“Pregnant women and people who consume beer are among those who tend to attract mosquitoes more,” the minister told lawmakers while presenting a statement on Uganda’s malaria situation.

His remarks came during a parliamentary debate sparked by the recent deaths of four students from severe malaria in Kampala. The Ministry of Health confirmed that the victims included two students from Makerere College School, one from Mengo Senior School and one from Gayaza High School.

The deaths prompted concern among parents and legislators, with fears emerging that a new and more dangerous strain of malaria could be spreading. However, Baryomunsi dismissed the claims, saying investigations have found no evidence of a new malaria parasite in Uganda.

“On behalf of the Ministry of Health, I extend our deepest condolences to the families, guardians, school communities and fellow learners of the four learners who have lost their lives. No parent should send a child to school and receive news of this nature,” he said.

The minister explained that the cases were confined to the Kampala Metropolitan Area, a region that has historically experienced low malaria transmission. He said the incidents should not be interpreted as a nationwide increase in severe malaria among school-going children.

According to Baryomunsi, Uganda’s routine genomic surveillance continues to show that Plasmodium falciparum, the parasite responsible for about 97 percent of malaria infections in the country, has remained unchanged for decades.

“Uganda routinely conducts genomic surveillance on circulating malaria parasites. This surveillance has not detected any change in the parasites currently circulating in the country,” he said.

He added that the same parasite that has long existed in Uganda caused the deaths of the four learners.

“What has killed these learners is the same parasite that ordinarily causes malaria. It is not a new strain,” he emphasized.

Baryomunsi attributed the fatalities to low immunity among children who grow up in areas where malaria transmission is relatively low. Unlike children in high-transmission districts, who gradually develop partial immunity through repeated exposure, many children in Kampala remain more vulnerable to severe illness when infected.

He warned that severe malaria can progress rapidly if treatment is delayed.

“An immunologically naïve child can progress from the first symptoms to severe malaria, including cerebral malaria and severe anaemia, within 24 hours, and from severe malaria to death within two hours if emergency treatment is not accessed in time,” he said.

In response, the Ministries of Health and Education have formed a joint task force to investigate the deaths and assess the prevalence of malaria among schoolchildren.

Government has also begun confidential investigations at the affected schools, issued updated malaria prevention and case management guidelines to schools nationwide, revived school health reporting systems and started deploying nurses and other health workers to government schools. Emergency referral systems are also being strengthened to ensure learners with severe malaria receive prompt treatment.

The Ministry of Health has urged parents, teachers and health workers to seek immediate medical attention for children showing signs of severe malaria, including high fever, persistent vomiting, convulsions, confusion and difficulty breathing, warning that delays in treatment can quickly become fatal.