President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni and a group of scientists have agreed to start with Bukedi Sub-region as a pilot area for a new mosquito radiation sterilization technology to prevent malaria.
“Let us start with the Bukedi Sub-region to pilot this method since the area has got a lot of water, flat area, and stagnant water. This will help us solve the problem of mosquitoes and have fewer patients,” President Museveni noted.
Speaking during a meeting at State House, Entebbe yesterday, the President said if the study works out in Bukedi, the technology will then be spread to other areas around the country.
“Sterilisation of the male mosquitoes or tsetse flies is something we have been talking about for a long time. But now, you have come, good, I support it, go ahead and have like a pilot effort which will result into a study and conclusion,” he appealed.
“Take part of the $90M which we are squandering on the malaria treatment as a country and put it here. These people are coming to save that money now and save the people who are dying.”
Mr. Israel Green, the Chief Executive Officer of Malera Technologies Limited informed the President that they aim to establish a high-level artificial intelligence technology known as radiation sterilization which sterilizes male mosquitoes to lessen the production of any offspring.
He added: “We are planning on starting with four full factories including a research centre dedicated to this method. We will deploy the factories in the areas that are at a higher burden of malaria prevalence under the guidance of the Ministry of Health to show the results in a short period.”
With the use of special artificial intelligence, Mr Green assured that they will be able to easily sort the males from the females and put the males aside for sterilization.
It should be noted that currently, Bukedi Sub-region is the leading region in malaria prevalence in the country.
The sub-region is surrounded by swamps and rivers that act as breeding grounds for mosquitoes.
