Arua Entrepreneur Benard Feni Joins Malaria Free Uganda Board as Country Targets 2030 Elimination Goal

Arua-based entrepreneur and Mungufeni Foundation founder Benard Feni has been appointed to the Board of Directors of Malaria Free Uganda, in a move expected to strengthen private-sector participation and domestic resource mobilisation in the country’s efforts to eliminate malaria as a public health threat by 2030.

Feni, who is also the chief executive officer of Euro Gold Refinery Uganda Ltd, was appointed by Health Minister Dr Chris Baryomunsi for a three-year term running from September 1, 2026, to August 31, 2029. The appointment is renewable once, subject to the initiative’s Board Charter.

According to the appointment letter, Feni’s selection recognises his leadership and professional experience, as well as the potential contribution of private-sector players to Uganda’s development priorities.

His appointment comes as Uganda continues to face a significant malaria burden, with the disease contributing to illness, deaths, household treatment costs, lost working hours and school absenteeism.

The World Health Organisation’s World Malaria Report 2025, which provides estimates for 2024, placed Uganda among five countries that collectively accounted for more than half of the world’s malaria cases. The other countries were the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ethiopia, Madagascar and Nigeria.

Globally, the report estimated 282 million malaria cases and 610,000 deaths in 2024, compared with 273 million cases in 2023. The WHO African Region accounted for approximately 94 per cent of cases and 95 per cent of deaths, with children under five among the most vulnerable.

Domestic financing seen as a key part of the solution

Malaria Free Uganda was established to support the Ministry of Health by mobilising resources and coordinating private-sector participation in the national malaria response.

The initiative’s board is expected to provide strategic oversight, strengthen advocacy, develop partnerships and mobilise domestic resources to support prevention and control programmes. It will also oversee budgets, resource commitments and the performance of the secretariat.

One of its key priorities is to establish an End Malaria Fund or foundation that would bring together government officials, business leaders and community representatives to finance interventions under Uganda’s national malaria strategic plan.

The proposed financing mechanism is intended to help address funding gaps, improve the availability of essential malaria commodities and strengthen accountability for resources committed towards malaria elimination.

For Uganda to make progress towards its 2030 target, the proposed fund could provide businesses and other stakeholders with a structured way to support interventions through financial contributions, medical supplies, technology, training and community networks.

The initiative also seeks to encourage ministries, departments and government agencies to integrate malaria interventions into their plans and budgets. This approach would extend prevention efforts beyond the health sector, allowing institutions to contribute to awareness, prevention and community mobilisation.

However, the fund’s potential contribution will depend on the resources it raises, the transparency of its operations and the extent to which commitments translate into interventions reaching communities.

Uganda has implemented several malaria-control interventions, including the distribution of insecticide-treated mosquito nets, indoor residual spraying in selected districts, community-based case management and expanded access to testing and treatment.

Despite these efforts, sustaining progress requires reliable financing, consistent supplies of medicines and diagnostic tools, and effective coordination among government agencies, health workers, development partners and private-sector actors.

The WHO has also reported partial resistance to artemisinin-based antimalarial medicines in Uganda, underscoring the importance of monitoring treatment effectiveness and ensuring that patients receive and adhere to treatment in line with national guidelines.

Malaria is transmitted through bites from infected female Anopheles mosquitoes. Although it is preventable and treatable, delayed diagnosis and treatment can result in severe illness and death, particularly among young children and pregnant women.

Strengthening prevention therefore requires continued access to mosquito nets, timely testing, appropriate treatment and community awareness, alongside surveillance to identify emerging challenges.

As a non-executive director, Feni is expected to contribute to the initiative’s strategic direction, support resource mobilisation and partnership development, and provide oversight of funds committed to its programmes.

The board is scheduled to meet four times a year, alongside an annual strategy retreat and other meetings when necessary. The position is voluntary and non-remunerated, although reasonable expenses incurred while carrying out official duties are reimbursed in line with the initiative’s policy.

The secretariat will be responsible for day-to-day operations, financial reporting, tracking resource commitments and organising board meetings and the annual malaria forum. Technical working groups supporting the National Malaria Control Division will provide technical guidance.

For the initiative to deliver measurable results, transparent reporting on funds raised, expenditure and programme outcomes will be essential. Publishing progress against resource commitments and demonstrating how contributions improve access to prevention and treatment could also help build public and private-sector confidence.

Feni’s appointment offers an opportunity to strengthen links between business leadership and public health priorities. The broader test for Malaria Free Uganda, however, will be whether stronger partnerships and domestic financing translate into sustained malaria prevention, timely treatment and fewer deaths across the country.

As Uganda works towards eliminating malaria as a public health threat by 2030, turning commitments into adequately funded and accountable community interventions will remain central to achieving that goal.