MINISTRY OF HEALTH TO CONDUCT MASS VACCINATION CAMPAIGN AGAINST YELLOW FEVER IN KABALE

DHO Kabale district Mr. Alfred Besigensi

By Kweronda Ambrose
In Kabale

The Ministry of Health, in partnership with Kabale district, is organizing a mass vaccination campaign against yellow fever under the Uganda National Expanded Programme on Immunization (UNEPI).

Alfred Besigensi, the Kabale District Health Officer (DHO), has announced that the vaccination program aims to reach approximately 200,000 people between the ages of nine months and 60 years across the district.

The campaign is scheduled to take place from June 9 to 13, 2023, at various locations including health facilities, schools, churches, markets, and community outreach programs.

DHO Besigensi emphasized the importance of the campaign, stating that it aims to protect the public against yellow fever and fulfill international travel requirements.

He highlighted that a single dose of the vaccine provides lifelong protection, eliminating the need for booster doses.

Besigensi urged the public to take responsibility for their own health and the well-being of others by participating in the vaccination program.

Uganda is one of the 14 African nations that reported yellow fever cases in 2022. Globally, 40 countries, including 27 in Africa and 13 in Central and South America, are considered high-risk for yellow fever.

Since September 2021, 13 countries in the WHO African Region have documented probable and confirmed yellow fever cases and outbreaks. Notably, there is an ongoing outbreak under close investigation in neighboring Kenya.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), Uganda is classified as a high-risk country for yellow fever and is endemic to the disease.

The country falls under the Eliminate Yellow Fever Epidemics (EYE) Strategy, which aims to eradicate yellow fever outbreaks.

Uganda has a history of yellow fever outbreaks, with cases reported in various districts in recent years.