Benard Feni, a gold refiner and philanthropist, has been appointed by Health Minister Dr Chris Baryomunsi to the Board of Directors of Malaria Free Uganda, a national public-private initiative working to eliminate malaria as a public health threat. Feni's three-year term runs from September 1, 2026, to August 31, 2029, and is renewable once under the initiative's Board Charter. The appointment brings business and philanthropic experience into a national effort increasingly dependent on domestic resource mobilisation, private-sector partnerships and sustained financing for malaria prevention and treatment. Feni is known for his work through Euro Gold Refinery Uganda Ltd and the Arua-based Mungu Feni Foundation, which has focused on supporting vulnerable communities and improving livelihoods in the West Nile sub-region.
The board position is voluntary and non-remunerated, though reasonable expenses incurred while performing official duties may be reimbursed. The board is scheduled to meet four times a year, alongside an annual strategy retreat and additional meetings when required. Board responsibilities include providing strategic oversight, mobilising domestic resources, strengthening advocacy, developing partnerships and overseeing budgets and resource commitments. The secretariat will manage day-to-day operations, while technical guidance will come from the National Malaria Control Division and its working groups.
One of the initiative's major priorities is establishing an End Malaria Fund to mobilise resources from government, businesses, civil society and community leaders to support Uganda's national malaria strategy. The proposed fund is intended to help address financing gaps affecting essential interventions, including the procurement and distribution of mosquito nets, medicines and diagnostic kits. Malaria Free Uganda also seeks to encourage government ministries, departments and agencies to incorporate malaria prevention and control into their plans and budgets, extending responsibility for the fight beyond the health sector.
Uganda remains among countries carrying a substantial share of the global malaria burden. According to the World Health Organisation's World Malaria Report 2025, an estimated 282 million malaria cases and 610,000 deaths occurred worldwide in 2024, up from an estimated 273 million cases in 2023. The WHO African Region accounted for approximately 94% of cases and 95% of deaths. Uganda is identified among five countries, alongside Nigeria, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ethiopia and Mozambique, that together accounted for nearly half of global malaria cases. The WHO has also reported partial resistance to artemisinin-based antimalarial medicines in Uganda, adding to the need for treatment monitoring and effective surveillance.
Private-sector involvement is key to Malaria Free Uganda's strategy. Businesses can contribute through financial commitments, technical expertise, supplies, technology, training and community networks. They can also integrate malaria prevention into workplace programmes and corporate social responsibility initiatives. The End Malaria Fund is expected to provide a mechanism for coordinating such contributions and directing resources towards priorities under Uganda's malaria strategy. Malaria affects productivity beyond health outcomes, contributing to missed school days, lost working hours and treatment costs, making prevention an economic as well as a public health priority.
Uganda's goal of eliminating malaria as a public health threat by 2030 will require sustained action from government, health workers, development partners, businesses and communities. Feni's appointment reflects the growing emphasis on involving private-sector leaders in that effort.