By Richard Onapatum
Kotido, Uganda – In a swift response to the outbreak of a deadly polio virus in Mbale City, Kotido District has today October 3, 2024 launched a comprehensive polio immunization campaign. The initiative, spearheaded by Resident District Commissioner Charles Ichogor, aims to immunize all children under 5 years across six sub-regions: Teso, Karamoja, Sebei, Bugisu, Bukedi, and Busoga.
Ichogor underscored the significance of the exercise, citing the National Resistance Movement (NRM) manifesto’s second pillar, which prioritizes health. He emphasized that the government’s commitment to health is unwavering and warned that anyone sabotaging the program would face arrest.
“The government is committed to ensuring the health and well-being of its citizens, particularly children. We will not tolerate any sabotage or hindrance to this exercise,” Ichogor stressed.
Brenda Nisima, the national supervisor for polio, set an ambitious target of 95% immunization, while District Health Inspector Olanya Eugene attributed the initial low turnout to the ongoing harvesting season.
“To avoid repetition, we will mark the fingers of immunized children and also mark houses to track vaccination coverage,” Eugene explained.
Ichogor expressed gratitude to the government for initiating the program and to local leaders for mobilizing support. He cautioned parents against prioritizing harvesting over immunization.
“I urge all parents to bring their children for immunization first. A healthy mind is a wealthy mind. Let us prioritize our children’s health,” Ichogor emphasized.
The RDC also announced plans to:
Launch an operation against parents keeping children out of school
End child labor and ensure free education
Promote government programs, particularly the Parish Development Model (PDM)
To address poverty, Ichogor unveiled a program for reformed Karachuna youths, including:
Formation of Savings and Credit Cooperatives (SACCOs)
Ideological orientation training
Exposure visits to other parts of the country
“By working together, we can overcome the looming poverty rate of 69% and build a healthier, wealthier community,” Ichogor concluded.
The immunization campaign is a crucial step towards protecting vulnerable children from the crippling effects of polio. Parents, leaders, and healthcare workers must collaborate to achieve the desired results.
