Government ready to control disease outbreaks -health minister

Minister of health Dr. Ruth Aceng. Photo/File

Government is set to recruit over 200 field epidemiologists to investigate disease outbreaks on routine basis; this was disclosed by the health minister Dr. Ruth Aceng.

The main function of field epidemiologists is to go to communities to investigate disease outbreaks.

Aceng told delegates at the Africa Health Agenda International conference (AHAIC 2017) in Nairobi, Kenya on Wednesday that some of the field epidemiologists have undergone trainings and are yet to train more.

‘Ever since the outbreak of Ebola haemorrhagic fever (EHF) in West Africa, we have gone ahead to strengthen this further, we have trained all health workers in integrated disease surveillance.

She added that Uganda has been able to control all outbreaks in a shortest period and this has enabled people to know that they are safe and that the health workers to be on alert.

'We are going to have another isolation centre at Mulago National Referral hospital  for any danger that may arise  around the city ,in addition to that one which is located at Entebbe Airport,  for the rest of the country we shall be having tents ready at anyone time to have patients isolated in the timely manner,' Aceng said.

She said it is not true that the entire Africa has failed to control outbreak saying that Uganda has over the years built its capacity towards disease control and strengthened its system to control outbreaks.

The 800 delegates also launched a campaign for ‘Workers not Volunteers' which is  aimed at encouraging  governments to pay  Community Health Workers (CHWs).

On the issue of CHWs, Aceng said each village is going to have two CHWs and will be paid a monthly fee by the public service. Each CHW will earn between sh170,000($50) and 210,000 ($60) per month.

She added that the Village Health teams who will meet the necessary requirements will be given opportunity to join the health programme.

A CHW is a member of community with an in depth understanding of the community culture and language, who has undergone formal, standardised and approval training.

The Chief Executive officer Amref Health Africa Dr. Githinji Gitahi called for formalisation of CHWs in national civil service schemes as a strategy to increase access to health care for all and thus achieve universal health care on the continent.

Prof Francis Omaswa, the executive director of Africa centre for Global Health and Social Transformation (ACHEST) said a health system which is based at community level is the strongest health system.' CHWs are important in communities and we should support the new direction government of Uganda is taking of employing them as civil servants.

The Chairman Advocacy for professionalism Prof George Kirya said facilitating CHWs is the only way to motivate them.