The Buganda Kingdom led by its Health Minister Dr. Phiona Kalinda has signed a partnership with the Government of Uganda in a bid to fight killer diseases that affect mostly children and mothers. In this partnership, the Buganda Kingdom’s role will be to mobilize the people of Buganda to take their children for immunization.
Dr. Ampire Immaculate who led a delegation from the Uganda government Ministry of Health revealed some of the activities the immunization program will comprise of and how it will be executed especially in Buganda. She said "We immunize five times for children aged 1 year and below. We begin with the newborn babies who are immunized with PCG for TB vaccination and the Polio vaccine. The baby is returned at the age of 1 ½ month for the immunization of Polio, Hepatitis B among others. The baby is then returned at the age of 2 ½ months and is immunized against the same, and then at the age of 3 ½ months that baby is immunized with the same."
Dr. Kaggwa Ddumba who is a Senior Pediatrician condemned the tendency of some parents who adamantly refuse to take their children for immunization, saying that this has led to the high spread of killer diseases in Buganda. He said "Herbal doctors have been given a very big platform. We have seen them in the media giving false facts about medical illnesses and conditions which is very bad as it affects and undermines the medical profession. Currently, the herbal doctors claim to treat health conditions and illnesses such as high blood pressure, asthma among others, of which, they were previously well known and respected as psychotherapists."
Speaking at the event, the Buganda Health Minister Dr. Phiona Kalinda said that “working together with the media would take us further with our well-established structures”. According to Dr. Kalinda, Buganda has got various leadership structures at different levels which can be vital in the mobilization of people so that they can turn up for this immunization program. She further added that “We shall have meetings with the local leaders to continue creating awareness so that they deliver the same message to the people at the grassroots. We hope the information will flow from top to bottom through the sub-counties till the local councils or villages.”
Dr. Kalinda also urged the people of Buganda to fully turn up for this program so as to protect the children. She concluded saying “We thank all the partners for starting the partnership with Buganda because it is a very vital aspect and we equally know the importance of immunization. Although the coverage of the immunization program is still very low, the Kabaka of Buganda usually makes an effort to provide immunization services to children everywhere he goes or visits.”