Experts Urge Rethinking of Malaria Strategy as Severe Disease Rises Among Older Children

What the report says

Ugandan health experts are calling for a review of the country’s malaria response after warning that severe cases are becoming more common among school-age children and adolescents. According to SoftPower News, the concern was raised in Kampala during a Continuing Medical Education session focused on emerging malaria challenges.

The report says doctors pointed to a growing burden of serious illness in older children, a shift that could increase pressure on current treatment options and on health workers who must identify and treat deteriorating patients more quickly. The discussion highlights the need to adapt malaria strategy as the disease pattern changes, rather than relying only on approaches designed around younger children and other high-risk groups.

Malaria remains a major public health issue in Uganda, and the warning suggests that prevention, diagnosis and treatment plans may need to better reflect how the illness is affecting different age groups. In general public health terms, a rise in severe disease among older children can signal gaps in early treatment, changing exposure patterns or other epidemiological shifts, although the article snippet does not provide a detailed cause.

SoftPower News reported the warning as part of the Kampala medical session, but the available text does not include specific policy recommendations, case numbers or official government response.