Malaria accounts for more than 50 percent of outpatient consultations, and costs a family on average more than Shs30,000 or three percent of annual household income.
Not all is lost, however. Solomon Icel, a lecturer at Lira University, believes he may have found a way to stop the disease at its source using an organic larvicide that is both effective and environmentally friendly.
Larvicides are substances designed to eliminate larvae before they develop into adult mosquitoes. They are typically applied in areas where mosquitoes breed, particularly in stagnant water.
Armed with a deep understanding of traditional medicine and a passion for innovation, Icel has developed a larvicide that targets mosquitoes in their breeding sites. The teaching assistant at the university’s Community Health Department in the Faculty of Public Health invented the remedy under the Herbal Extract Larvicide for Malaria Control and Prevention project.
‘The government spends more than Shs1.7 trillion ($500 million) in the prevention of malaria-related activities. At the community level, we spend more than Shs2 trillion ($600 million). At the individual level, a family spends more than Shs39,000 on treating malaria every month,’ he reveals.
In 2023, Icel began the innovation project after realising that malaria had become a burden to the community.
‘I had participated in many malaria prevention activities, and I have realised that larviciding is key. When we kill mosquitoes at the larval stage, we break the cycle. Conventional methods such as sleeping under insecticide-treated nets and Indoor Residual Spray (IRS) have proved less effective in the fight against malaria,’ he explains.
The researcher adds that sometimes, members of the community do not embrace these methods. With IRS, one is required to cover 85 percent of the houses in a community, but sometimes those who spray cover below 60 percent, which is not effective.
There is a high chance that herbicides are more effective because they target stagnant water, not the inside of people’s homes. Icel used a herb, which his grandfather told him can kill insects.
‘I cut plastic bottles into which I placed the mosquito larvae. Then, I pounded the herbs and poured them into the plastic bottles, on top of the larvae. The larvae were dying. I realised that I could apply scientific processes to make the herbs more effective,’ he says.
At this stage, Icel received Shs300m from the government, through the Ministry of Science, Innovation and Technology. The financial boost enabled him to employ some people to help him in the development of the larvicide. Now, the larvicide is about to be enrolled in the community.
‘I always tell people that when you believe in yourself, you can do anything. People think innovation is only for educated people; however, it is for everybody, irrespective of their educational background. I have five permanent employees and 12 casual labourers. I also pay farmers Shs200,000 per month to grow the herb,’ the researcher says.
In May 2025, the Science, Technology, and Innovation Secretariat in the Office of the President (STI-OP) provided an additional Shs400m to boost his project. The larvicide, which is in powder form, has demonstrated 100 percent efficacy against Aedes, Anopheles, and Culex mosquito species, along with 95 percent residual effectiveness.
The project is aimed at the production of a sustainable organic larvicide that is effective and environmentally-friendly. The technology could be one of the most cost-effective public health investments in the country’s history, and a transformation for the broader economic trajectory of the country.
The National Drug Authority (NDA) has given the innovator a green light, but the larvicide is yet to be enrolled into the community.
Overview
Malaria is a life-threatening disease spread to humans by some types of mosquitoes. It is mostly found in tropical countries. The infection is caused by a parasite and does not spread from person to person.
Symptoms can be mild or life-threatening, such as fever, chills and headache, fatigue, confusion, seizures, and difficulty in breathing. Malaria can be prevented by avoiding mosquito bites and with medicines. Treatments can stop mild cases from getting worse. However, when left untreated, malaria can progress to severe illness and death within 24 hours.
During this rainy season, Icel’s efforts are more crucial than ever. Mosquito breeding sites are multiplying, and the risk of malaria transmission is high. The country experiences two malaria transmission types: stable, perennial malaria transmission, which exists in 90-95 percent of the country, and low, unstable transmission with potential for epidemics in five to 10 percent of the country.
In the Lango sub-region, just like other areas, transmission peaks are aligned with the two annual rainy seasons, which take place from March to May and from September to November.
Although the entire population is at risk, marginalised populations are confronted with economic, social, and contextual challenges and barriers that may limit their access to malaria prevention, treatment, and control programs.
These include vulnerable and underserved populations, such as children under five years, pregnant women, people living with HIV/Aids, people with disabilities, inmates, and people in closed/congregate settings. Others are internally displaced populations, refugees, older persons, and people affected by ethnic, geographical or cultural barriers.
How the herbicide works
But with Icel’s herbal solution, residents may find new hope in the fight against this deadly disease. One has to pour two grammes of herbicide on stagnant water. This is enough to cover a surface of one square metre. Currently, a bottle of herbicide is sold at Shs37,000.
‘After killing 100 percent of mosquito larvae on the water surface, the herbicide has 98 percent residual efficacy. This means that it will remain effective in the water for three days,’ Icel says.
The herbicide is specific to mosquitoes. Laboratory tests found that it does not affect fish, bees, microorganisms such as earthworms, human eyes, or rats.
Hamza Okello, the Private Principal Secretary to the Lango Paramount Chief, says Lango remains one of the highest transmission areas of malaria.
‘This innovation will go a long way in reducing the malaria burden in the region. I call upon the government and development partners to support such technologies that address common problems in communities,’ he says.
Icel’s method is simple yet effective and is gaining attention from the locals.
‘Since they started applying the herbicide here, the number of mosquitoes has reduced. We request the government to apply the herbicide in the entire village so that our people stop spending a lot of money on treating malaria,’ says Margaret Gira, a resident of Teokole Cell, Amuca Ward in Lira City West.
Larvicide processing plant
Meanwhile, Lira University is seeking Shs10 billion to establish a mosquito larvicide processing plant aimed at combating malaria with a mosquito larvicide.
Other ongoing research at the university includes a project aimed at reducing neonatal and maternal deaths, as well as a satellite project. Another notable initiative is the development of an app to remind people living with HIV/Aids to take their medication on time.
However, the university lacks a research laboratory to support these critical research projects.
At a glance
Cause: Malaria is caused by five parasite species, the most dangerous being Plasmodium falciparum (prevalent in Africa and the cause of most deaths) and Plasmodium vivax (dominant in most other regions).
Transmission: The parasite is primarily spread to humans through the bites of infected female Anopheles mosquitoes, which typically feed from dusk till dawn. Rare transmission can occur through blood transfusions, organ transplants, shared needles, or from mother to unborn child.
Symptoms: Initial symptoms usually appear 10-15 days after infection and include fever, headache, and chills. Without prompt treatment, especially for P. falciparum, this can progress to severe illness and death within 24 hours, with symptoms such as severe anaemia, respiratory distress, seizures, coma (cerebral malaria), and multi-organ failure.
Global Burden: The WHO African Region carries a disproportionately high share of the global malaria burden, accounting for about 94% of cases and 95% of deaths in 2023. Children under five years of age are the most vulnerable group, accounting for around 76% of all deaths in this region.
Risk Groups: In addition to young children, other high-risk groups include pregnant women, travellers from non-endemic areas, and people with HIV/AIDS.
Prevention: Effective prevention strategies focus on avoiding mosquito bites using insecticide-treated nets (ITNs), indoor residual spraying (IRS), and using insect repellents. Preventive medicines (chemoprophylaxis) are also available, especially for travellers.
Treatment: Early diagnosis and treatment are crucial for recovery. The most effective treatment for P. falciparum malaria is artemisinin-based combination therapy (ACT).
Vaccines: The World Health Organisation recommended the broad use of the RTS,S/AS01 malaria vaccine in 2021, and a second vaccine, R21/Matrix-M, in 2023 for children in areas with moderate to high transmission.