Health experts have emphasized that disease prevention and health promotion at the household level can reduce the disease burden by 75 percent.

Dr Henry Mwebesa, the director general of health services, said a reduction in the disease burden will mean less medicines will be required to treat people.

 "If everyone gets involved to improve sanitation if children can get vaccinated and people sleep under mosquito nets, all the diseases which bring them to hospitals will be prevented," he said on Monday during the launch of the Community Health Week in Kawempe.

Dr. Henry Mwebesa, Director General of Health services, Ministry of Health (left) being taken through the records by Margaret Najjingo, a VHT (third left) and Lukia Nakakande, a resident of Bokasa Zone in Kawempe Division. (Photo by Mpalanyi Ssentongo)

Mwebesa urged village health teams (VHTs), also known as community health workers, to visit every home and ensure that children are vaccinated.

He said the Government is spending over sh60bn on medicines, excluding HIV and AIDs drugs.

As part of activities of the Community Health Week, Mwebesa together with other officials from the health ministry conducted a house-to-house health talk in the areas of Bokasa, Kimwanyi and Katogo in Kawempe division.

Dr Daniel Kyabayinze, the COVID-19 incident commander, said health services are improved by having fewer people falling sick, which means diseases that cannot be completely prevented become the only burden.

Lt. Col. Dr. Kyobe Henry Bbosa, the Incident Commander for COVID-19 in the Ministry of Health (dressed in a coat) visiting one of the centres in Katogo zone in Kawempe Division. (Photo by Mpalanyi Ssentongo)

He said the focus should be to prevent as many diseases as possible so that health facilities are not overloaded with preventable diseases because they drain resources and overburden health workers.

‘’If diseases can be prevented by immunization, why would we wait for children to come to hospital yet we could have vaccinated them?

"Why would we have to get diarrhea when we can have clean water, environment and use toilets?"

Residents of Bokasa Zone in Kawempe Division getting free health services after Ministry of Health launched a "health outside hospitals" programme. (Photo by Mpalanyi Ssentongo)

Badru Makumbi, the deputy mayor of Kawempe Division, urged the construction of a health center, saying the current Komamboga Health Center III is not enough to manage the big number of patients.

 Kawempe has a population of about 400,000 people.

Makumbi also asked the Government to provide more garbage trucks.

 "If we are talking about community health, we cannot leave out the issue of garbage collection. We have three trucks, and they are old, and fuel is not enough to run for a full month. If they don’t address this problem, we shall face more challenges of diseases."

Lt. Col. Dr. Kyobe Henry Bbosa the Incident Commander for COVID-19 in the Ministry of Health (left) showing a resident of Katogo zone in Kawempe Division the proper way of washing hands. (Photo by Mpalanyi Ssentongo)

Lilian Kamanzi Mugisha, the communications and fundraising manager at Amref Health Africa, said they "feel more confident" working with village health teams in their quest to support communities and build their capacity more.

VHTs offer various services, including conducting home visits, and managing malaria, diarrhea and pneumonia among children under five years of age.

VHT member Aisha Nakito from Bwaise said many people remain in their homes when they are sick because they cannot afford transport to hospital.