OBJECTIVE: To document successful community chloroquine distribution for malaria control in Bushenyi district, southwestern Uganda. DESIGN: A cross sectional survey immediately after a four-month community chloroquine distribution exercise. One hundred sixty seven distributors in 140 out of 166 parishes in Bushenyi district did the chloroquine distribution during the 2001 malaria epidemic. PARTICIPANTS: A cluster random sample of 215 heads of households or their spouses were interviewed using a pre-tested questionnaire. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Socio-demographic characteristics, malaria/fever morbidity, health seeking behaviour in the previous four months, knowledge about chloroquine distribution, opinions about the chloroquine distribution exercise and whether the household had used the service of the chloroquine distributors. RESULTS: Thirty per cent of the people surveyed had suffered from malaria in the previous four months. Seventy per cent of the households were aware of the chloroquine distribution and 56% of the patients who had malaria in the previous four months accessed the services of chloroquine distributors. People who were aware of chloroquine distributors were less likely to use services where a fee is levied. The total cost of chloroquine distribution was about 20,000 United States dollars. CONCLUSIONS: Community chloroquine distribution can increase access to treatment and can be done in a short time at an affordable cost.