Over 600 Mukono village residents benefit from joint medical camp

MUKONO - Over 600 vulnerable residents of Namakomo village in Mukono district have accessed medical aid, legal aid consultations and financial literacy services.

The services offered during a medical camp included medical checkups and treatment of non-communicable diseases, sickle cell disease screening, cervical and prostate cancer screening, HIV and AIDS testing and counselling.

The camp also has nutritional assessment and education, family planning, mental health education and a blood donation drive.

Rotary Club of Mukono president Albert Sibuta Mooli said the medical camp was organised specifically in Namakomo village to provide residents with access to adequate health services.

“We did a needs assessment and established that many people are sick, but the distance to organised medical care is a significant barrier. For instance, from here up to the nearest health centre, it is about four kilometres,” Mooli said.

Since this initiative aligns with Rotary International's focus on ensuring good health, Mooli said to have a successful health camp, they collaborated with nine Rotary Clubs, including Kampala Muyenga Breeze, to raise over shillings 20 million.

He made the remarks during the medical camp in Nakifuma sub-county-based Namakomo on November 22, 2025.

The medical camp was part of Rotary Family Health Day organised by the Rotary clubs of Kampala Muyenga Breeze, Naggalama, Rotary Club of Mukono, among others in partnership with dfcu Bank.

To live a healthy life, Mooli advised Ugandans to always go for regular check-ups to know their health status. Noting that many people are suffering from sickle cell disease, but ignore it.

During the health education discussion about sickle cell disease, the executive director of the Uganda Sickle Cell Rescue Foundation, Tracy Nagawa, informed residents that the disease is an inherited blood disorder.

Albert Sibuta Mooli, President Rotary Club of Mukono, addressing journalists during a medical camp in Namakomo village, Mukono district. (Credit: Juliet Kasirye)

"Before you get married or engage in a serious relationship," Nagawa said, adding that couples need to test and know their status.

Statistics indicate that over 300,000 babies are born with sickle cell disease globally every year. In Uganda, statistics indicate that 15,000 babies are born with the disease in the same period.

“13% of Uganda’s population has a trait. In every 10 people you test, at least one has a sickle cell trait, and regions that are highly affected are the northern, eastern and central,” Nagawa stated.

Rotary Club of Kampala Muyenga Breeze president Rogers Mukalazi said the health camp was organised in Namakomo so that residents understand the importance of keeping healthy.

“We want to make sure that health is brought closer to the people, even those who cannot afford to go to hospitals, at least they can get the basic medicines that they need today. Namakomo does not have a health centre of its own, and as of today, I think the closest hospital they have is in Nagalama, which is about 20km away from here,” Mukalazi said.

“The medicine is free because it has been provided by the Joint Medical Stores and the Uganda  People's Defence Forces,” he added.

Justine Namakula Nsubuga, 77, a resident of Bukasa village in Nakifuma, commended Rotarians for always reaching out to those in need, saying that for the last three years, she has been spending over shillings 100,000 on eye treatment.

“I last got free things during Sir Edward Mutesa’s time. Today, I got free eyeglasses and treatment for diabetes,” Namakula said.