President Museveni has called on ministries and local governments to enhance nutrition sensitisation campaigns, citing that non-communicable diseases contribute to 7% of annual deaths in Uganda.
He made the remarks during a meeting with Dr Sania Nishtar, the CEO of Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, to discuss challenges and strategies for improving child immunisation in the country.
President Museveni commended Gavi and its donors for their support in strengthening Uganda’s health sector.
“Without the international support, we would have to do it ourselves, diverting resources meant for roads and other sectors. You have liberated our resources to do other things,” he said.
He also reiterated Uganda’s commitment to Gavi programs, pledging to meet the 20% co-financing obligation for vaccines.
Dr Nishtar applauded Uganda’s progress, describing it as one of the few East African nations with high life expectancy and a strong record of outbreak control.
She praised the effective use of vaccines to protect children against preventable diseases and acknowledged the country’s leadership in public health.
In a significant announcement, Dr Nishtar revealed that Uganda is set to launch the world’s largest malaria vaccination program, a landmark initiative in the fight against the disease.