MPs on the national economy committee have opposed the Government’s move to borrow sh20b from the World Bank for Avian (bird flue) and human influenza preparedness.
Scrutinising the loan request presented by state minister of finance Ephraim Kamuntu yesterday, the MPs argued that the disease was no longer an emergency or a threat as portrayed by the ministry.
MPs Charles Olweny, William Wopuwa, Ibrahim Kaddunabbi and Julius Balyejjusa argued that instead of securing a loan, the Government should fund the activities through the ministries’ budgets.
“Cabinet approved the loan request in 2005. It is now 2009, how can you call it an emergency loan? This money should have been put in the budget,” Kadunabbi said.
Balyejjusa said: “You should be dealing with the actual health problems facing the country such as drug shortage. Don’t we have an emergency response team already in place?”
The minister said the loan would help the country build capacity to handle an outbreak for Avian flu and other diseases.
Avian influenza commonly called “bird flu” is caused by viruses that occur naturally in birds, especially migratory ones.
Last year, the highly pathogenic strain of Avian influenza, the H5N1 virus, hit Asia, Europe and Africa, killing a number of people and poultry.
“It’s cheaper to prepare, and for that reason to reduce or prevent the effects of an outbreak, than to handle the actual outbreak of an epidemic,” Kamuntu said.
He added: “Once there is an outbreak, it would call for compensation, culling and cleaning. The cost of such an exercise may be beyond what is being proposed in the project.”
Kamuntu said the loan would help finance the national influenza laboratory at the Uganda Virus Institute, strengthen the epidemiological unit at the Ministry of Agriculture and surveillance of migratory birds.
It will also be used to review the curricula of the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine and other related activities.
Dr. Owiny Kaboyo of the health ministry said the money would fund the construction of isolation units for suspected victims at regional referral hospitals.
