Africa-Press – Uganda. The Deputy Speaker of Parliament, Ms Anita Among, has tasked leaders to invest in promotion of health in communities to prevent non-communicable diseases.
She said the move will also reduce the burden on healthcare, leading to development.
“Health is wealth as they say in modern public speech. It is, therefore, important for leaders to work with the people to ensure that we promote good health and once achieved, then the cost of medical care will be reduced and manpower productivity will increase as well,” Ms Among said in a speech read by State Minister for Mineral Development, Ms Sarah Opendi, in Sheema District at the weekend.
This was during the ‘Sheema run’ organised by Sheema Development Association to fundraise for the construction of non-communicable diseases (NCD) ward at Kabwohe Health Centre IV.
Ms Among pledged to support the project.
A 2014 national NCD risk factor survey shows that 33 percent of annual deaths in Uganda are attributed to the five leading NCDs – cardio-vascular disease, cancer, diabetes, chronic respiratory disease, mental health, and substance abuse.
On her part, Ms Opendi asked communities to fight corruption in the health sector to improve services.
“If we could stop corruption, we would have all the doctors that we need and pay them well, we would have drugs in the health facilities which is not the case today. So, let us all be honest, especially those in public offices and serve our people,” Ms Opendi said.
The district Woman MP, Ms Rosemary Nyakikongoro, said they have resorted to community resource mobilisation because it delivers results as opposed to focussing on only disease testing.
“In the recent past, we concentrated on rounds of cancer testing in communities but now we are mobilising communities to support such initiatives, and it will pay off,” she said.
The Sheema South MP, Prof Elijah Dickens Mushemeza, said district leaders are determined and committed to improve service delivery.
The head of the NCD prevention and control programme at the Ministry of Health, Dr Gerald Mutungi, asked other leaders to emulate community mobilisation against NCDs.
“As we wait for the government to do something, we can do something for ourselves. This Sheema run should be duplicated everywhere so that we can run against non-communicable diseases,” Dr Mutungi said.
“I am going to try to work with MPs and other officials so that we can have these runs in every district and contribute something among ourselves and fight against non-communicable diseases,” he added.
Ms Among contributed Shs40 million towards the construction of the ward, and more than Shs200m was raised in cash and pledges for the same project.
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