Busoga Diocese urges public to embrace mass Yellow Fever vaccination

BUSOGA - Busoga Diocese has implored the public to embrace the one-week mass Yellow Fever exercise set to be rolled out in 17 districts in the area, including Mubende region.

Christ’s Cathedral Bugembe vicar general, the Rev. Can. Mathias Katiko, says as religious leaders, they are mandated to support the Government in mobilising the community for such campaigns geared at protecting their lives.

Beatrice Mutonyi, a senior nurse at the Division of Vaccines and Immunisation under the National Disease Control Programme/Department at the Ministry of Health, said the exercise will commence on September 30 and continue until October 6, 2025.

She said that seven districts in the Mubende region, including Kiboga, Kyankwanzi, Nakaseke, Nakasongola, Mubende, Mityana, and Kasanda, had been mapped for the exercise.

Since they had conducted a reactive campaign in the districts of Kaliro and Namutumba in Busoga after confirming a positive case in Kibuku district last April, Mutonyi said these would be excluded and held in Luuka, Mayuge, Bugiri, Jinja, Kamuli, Buyende, Namayingo, Bugweri and Iganga, including Jinja city.

As a result, Katiko said religious and local government leaders, including community health workers, were key in spearheading the campaign to ensure positive public participation in huge numbers.

This was during special prayers at which they joined the rest of the Anglican churches in the province to pray and also mobilise financial contribution among believers towards the sustainability of Uganda Christian University (UCU) at Christ’s Cathedral Bugembe in Jinja city northern division on Sunday, September 28, 2025.

He assured the congregation that the vaccines were safe, with only one shot given in a lifetime.

Whereas the first service is typically conducted in English, Katiko switched to Lusoga so that the congregation could understand better.

'Eno n’enkaka era ekaaligho e Busoga, twidumbire tujje batugeme okuva kumwaka mulala paka kunkaaga' literally meaning this is the yellow fever disease and it still exists in Busoga, let us embrace the vaccination from one year to the age of 60.

Yellow fever virus, according to the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, is spread to people by the bite of an infected mosquito. It is found in tropical and subtropical areas of Africa and South America. 

Illness ranges from a fever with aches and pains to severe liver disease with bleeding and yellowing skin and eyes (jaundice). Yellow fever is diagnosed based on laboratory testing, a person’s symptoms, and travel history.

There is no medicine to treat yellow fever. To prevent getting sick from yellow fever, protect yourself from mosquito bites and get vaccinated, the CDC says.

The first service draws a huge congregation, and by show of hands, fewer than 5 followers confirmed having received their vaccination shot.

“We are required to mobilise people for this mass campaign as religious leaders, and if the exercise were commencing today, this was a ripe target because a huge number had not received the vaccination shot,” he said.

Commemorating UCU

Meanwhile, Timothy Akampurira, a lecturer at UCU Mbale College who was the main preacher, explained that the House of Bishops at the Church of Uganda declared every last Sunday of September to commemorate UCU.

Being their Provincial entity, he said the church fixed this day as it was with the youths, fathers, mothers and Christian women on Sundays on their calendar for the church to keep growing.

Akampurira said this was aimed at giving a holistic life to ensure that they give a complete education to the students, which was Christ-centred so that God remained the Alpha and Omega as their motto suggests.

Like Katiko, Akampurira added that they were required to use the day to provide publicity for the university to get known and also offer accountability for the contributions made.

Since 2017 up to 2024, he said Christians had been contributing shillings 67 million, 2434 million, 257 million, 25  million, 35.7  million, 240  million, 297  million and 354.5  million, respectively.

He attributed the low collection of 25  million and 35.7  million in 2020 and 2021, respectively, to the COVID-19 outbreak and eventual lockdown that led to the ban of social gatherings, including worship places, hence using online platforms.

Of the annual collections, Akampurira said 15% was earmarked for capacity building of the clergy and 20% for their children, while 65% for infrastructure development of the main campus, including the regional branches.

He said Mbale received sh19.2m for the renovation of their residential halls.

Held under the theme, “imitating God’s goodness by doing good, quoting Galatians 6:9,” he said their aim was to remain the salt in Uganda and beyond.