Swedish Government announces $2 million donation to UNICEF for Ebola response in Uganda

 By Umar Weswala

Minister Benjamin Dousa (C)
addressing members of the press 
The Government of Sweden has announced new funding of US$2 million to UNICEF, with the aim of strengthening the UN agency’s ongoing response to the Sudan Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) outbreak in Uganda.

Mr. Benjamin Dousa, the Swedish Minister for International Development Cooperation and Foreign Trade revealed the new funding on 17th March during a visit to Kawempe National Referral Hospital in Kampala, where UNICEF is contributing to the delivery of quality maternal and new-born care health services with funding from Sweden.

According to a Press Release issued by UNICEF Uganda, the contribution which is an equivalent of approximately UGX 7.3 billion will be utilized by UNICEF over a period of five months to support the immediate priorities of the Government of Uganda’s national Sudan EVD plan with a focus on Kampala, its five political divisions, and the districts of Mbale and Jinja.

The focus of the response will include activities on intensified sustained risk communication and community engagement, infection prevention and control, water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) and other needs such as nutrition and mental health and psychosocial support.

Swedish Envoy to Uganda Maria Hakansson (L)
with Minister Benjamin
“Sweden has supported response to previous outbreaks of Ebola in Uganda. We are glad to partner with UNICEF to again provide critical support to the response to the ongoing outbreak in Uganda. Sweden’s contribution will strengthen the Government of Uganda and local systems at national, sub national and community level for timely prevention and response,” Minister Dousa said.

With this funding, UNICEF together with Ministry of Health and other partners are set to strengthen efforts to sustain coordination efforts at the sub national level and prevent the spread of EVD.

Specifically, UNICEF will also collaborate with Government and partners to intensify targeted Risk Communication and Community Engagement to ensure that communities are aware of Ebola prevention measures, recognise signs and symptoms and are able to seek early care and/or report suspected cases to interrupt transmission in communities.  

A total of 8.1 million people are anticipated to benefit, both directly and indirectly, from the interventions.

A visit to Kawempe National Referral Hospital in Kampala,
where UNICEF is contributing to the delivery of quality maternal
and new-born care health services with funding from Sweden.
The UNICEF Representative to Uganda, Dr. Robin Nandy, thanked the Government of Sweden for the new funding and sustained relationship over the years which has contributed to building stronger health systems and ending preventable deaths especially of children and mothers in Uganda.

He particularly thanked the Government of Sweden for supporting emergency responses, including during the Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) pandemic, including mass vaccinations, reopening of schools and the re-entry of pregnant and teenage mothers to school.

”With the Swedish Government funding, our critical support to the Government of Uganda’s response plan will be strengthened. We believe that a sustained integrated response will result in the containment of the outbreak, saving the lives of children, women and their families,” Dr. Nandy said.

UNICEF contributions in the on-going national Sudan EVD plan include:

•           Supporting the establishment of emergency treatment and isolation units in Mulago National Referral Hospital and Mbale City which provide immediate life-saving treatment and care for Ebola patients.

•           Supporting the initial provision of food and milk for affected children in Mulago emergency treatment unit.

•           Provision of critical support for risk communication and community engagement activities

•           Support vaccination rollout

•           Provision of lifesaving supplies.

•           Co-chairing the Ministry of Health Risk                Communication and Social Mobilization                pillar.

•           Co-chairing the Continuity of Essential                    Health Services pillar.

•           Supporting 15 locum staff at Mulago National Referral Hospital to ensure continued delivery of health services and care for Ebola patients.

•           Distributing hand washing units and liquid soap in the two Ebola treatment and isolation units.

•           Rehabilitation of water supply system in Mbale Ebola Isolation Centre.

•           Provision of mental health and psychosocial support to children in isolation centres and supported reintegration in communities.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Tales of Unsafe Abortion complications in Uganda

Image
  Local NGO comes to the rescue of sex workers living on Lake Victoria landing sites By Umar Weswala: FMP team in Kyondo, one of the Sex workers'  communities in Kigungu Landing site Reports of injuries and illnesses resulting from unsafe abortion complications among sex workers living on Lake Victoria landing sites are unacceptably high, placing a huge health care burden not only on individual patients and their families but also on the national health care system, which is already burdened with other morbidities.   On a sadder note, many of those who suffer these complications lose lives because they cannot afford or quickly access Post Abortion Care (PAC) depending on where they are offered. Private facilities charge highly for such services and public facilities are either distant or the health workers stigmatize the sex workers seeking medical care. On average, Post Abortion Care costs about UGX 500,000= (US$130) an amount that an average Ugandan cannot affor...
Read more

Government signs Compact with UNFPA to increase contraceptives supply

Image
  By Umar Weswala: Country Rep. Mary Otieno signed on behalf of UNFPA The government of Uganda has signed a Compact with the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) under the UNFPA Supplies Partnership , aimed at increasing the supply of modern contraceptives and lifesaving maternal health medicines in the country. This is in addition to the past and recent pledges and commitments made by the government both at local and international fora. The compact was signed on 10 th May 2023 at Sheraton Hotel Kampala by the Minister of Finance, Planning and Economic Development Hon. Matia Kasaija and the Permanent Secretary Ministry of Health Dr. Diana Atwine on behalf of the government of Uganda, and the Country Representative Dr. Mary Otieno on behalf of UNFPA. Minister Kasaija signed on behalf of the gov't of Uganda At the signing ceremony, the Minister Kasaija said that, the compact agreement is an emphasis of Uganda’s commitments to invest in overall health and wellbeing of the Uga...
Read more

Uganda to host international symposium on universal health coverage

Image
By Umar Weswala – Kampala: (L-R) Dr. A. Ssenyonjo, Prof. F. Ssengooba and Ms. R. Kaitiritimba Over 250 delegates from different countries will converge in Kampala from August 27 th to 29 th for an international symposium on Universal Health Coverage (UHC). This was revealed today by Prof. Freddie Ssengooba during a Press Conference organised by SupportingPolicy Engagements for Evidence-based Decisions (SPEED) at Gold Course Hotel in Kampala. Professor Ssengooba, the SPEED Project Director, told journalists that the symposium organised under the theme; ‘Partnerships for Health Improvements across governments and societies and local, national and global levels’ will examine partnerships, policy and systems developments for UHC. With this symposium, which is the third that SPEED is convening since 2015, we are creating space for all stakeholders in this work to come together and reflect on what has been going on in partnership creation, policy formulation as well as devel...
Read more