Leaders from the Buganda Kingdom and religious institutions have participated in a dialogue and training session on preventing the spread of Ebola, with a strong call to promote accurate public health information and responsible community leadership.
The training, held at Muteesa I Royal University in Kakeeka, Mmengo, was officially opened by the Chairperson of the Kingdom's Disaster Management Committee and Minister for Information, Mobilisation and Kingdom Spokesperson, Israel Kazibwe Kitooke.
Kazibwe urged the people of Buganda to rely on credible sources of information and communicate Ebola prevention messages in languages that communities best understand.
"I urge the people of Buganda to follow credible information channels that provide verified information and to use languages that people easily understand when sharing messages about Ebola," Kazibwe said.
He also warned that certain human behaviours contribute to the spread of Ebola, citing the consumption of monkeys in parts of the Democratic Republic of the Congo as an example.
"Some cultural practices contribute to the spread of Ebola. Eating monkeys is practised in some parts of DR Congo, but it is not part of our culture here. We should discourage such practices," he added.
Fiona Kalinda Nakalinda, a member of the Buganda Kingdom Health Board, encouraged people suspected of having Ebola to provide truthful information to health workers to enable proper diagnosis and treatment.
"Patients should give health workers accurate information whenever they are asked about their condition. This enables medical experts to make the right diagnosis and provide appropriate treatment," Dr. Nakalinda said.
Journalist Culton Scovia Nakamya cautioned leaders against spreading unverified information on social media, urging them to verify facts before communicating with the communities they serve.
"Leaders have a responsibility to verify information before sharing it with the people they lead, especially information circulating on social media," Nakamya said.
Representatives from the United Nations Development Programme also called on Ugandans to remain vigilant and take preventive measures against Ebola transmission, particularly during interactions that may expose them to infection.
The dialogue brought together Buganda Kingdom officials, religious leaders and health stakeholders to strengthen community awareness and preparedness against Ebola outbreaks
