Ugandan authorities crack down on misuse of insecticide treated nets

Ugandan police and local officials are cracking down on residents who divert government-issued insecticide-treated mosquito nets for fishing and domestic uses.

These nets are part of a national effort to distribute 27.5 million nets to combat malaria, which caused over 13.2 million cases and 16,204 deaths in the country in 2024. Authorities in Buvuma District arrested two men for stealing 400 nets from Buyego Health Centre II.

The men stitched the nets together to catch silver fish and mukene, a type of small fish. Police in Kaberamaido District also arrested eight fishermen for using the nets to catch immature fish on Lake Kyoga and destroyed 10 of the stolen nets. In other regions, people have used the nets to trap white ants and grasshoppers, build chicken shelters, fence gardens, and strain juice.

The government is concerned that these practices damage aquatic environments because the chemicals in the nets can contaminate water. Additionally, the fine mesh of the nets traps small fish, which threatens local fish stocks. To address these issues, the government established a national task force involving Resident District Commissioners and District Health Officers to monitor the distribution and use of the nets.