Total ban on kavera in Uganda

Oct 29, 2018

The government should benchmark good environmental protection practices from countries in the region and developed countries

By Dr Dickens Atwongyeire

The benefits associated with removal of polythene (Kavera) and all other related plastic products from the Ugandan shops and supermarkets way above outweigh the economic contribution of the same products to the economy of this country, contrary to the Hon. Minister's assertions that it would have dire effects to Ugandans as reported in the New vision of 05.10.2018. Uganda should not milk from an Anthrax infected cow.

Polythene and all plastic materials are non-biodegradable environmental hazardous components owing to the fact that they can't be broken down so easily to smaller pieces by soil micro-organisms for their own use, leave alone plants for their own growth and development. When a ‘kavera' falls on the ground, no water can percolate through into the soil for plant use, when the ‘buvera' are burnt, they contribute immensely to air pollution leading to reduced plant yield in the previously agricultural and food hubs, fatal lung complications that the medical profession has witnessed rising every other year especially in the adult persons, an occurrence that had been rare few years ago. This has manifested as asthma like attacks often leading to death.

The fumes that arise out burning of ‘Kavera' contain hazardous hydrocarbons to the ozone layer leading to the unchecked passing through of the dangerous Gama and Ultra violet rays to the earth, that results into global warming on the earth surface, human cancers surge.  It is also believed that packed foods, water and other liquids in buvera are infused with smaller toxic particles as a result of photodegradation. This is the reason why its not advisable to drink water or any other drink that has over stayed in a plastic bottle or kavera.

Those who care to know should ask themselves whether manufacturers of plastic packed liquids and juices transport them to the end consumers in refrigerated trucks.This is further compounded by the lack of physical activity in populations characterized by a booming boda boda industry, frequent use of taxis and majority of elite Ugandan society driving themselves to and from work and the notion in societies that the bigger and fatter one is the more financially appealing he looks.The civil engineering departments have also not done better to design roads to suit pedestrian walking on the sides of the roads. I take this opportunity to congratulate, However, KCCA for ensuring roadside pavements are built in tandem with this pertinent requirement on our roads. 

This is one of the reasons why Ugandan citizens are rushed to the bigger economies like USA, United Kingdom and India among others seeking for diagnostic care, treatment and rehabilitative management for already advanced cancers of all forms amny of whom have succumbed to the scourge, caused primarily by ‘buvera'.  There are interventions that are aimed at reducing amounts of plastic materials in the environment like Re-use, re-cycle and re-fill (Reduce), practices that have been in place for along time  but the ‘buvera' factories, many as they are produce more products than can be ‘consumed' at any one moment. To appreciate the plight of Ugandans, government should send a delegation to Kitezi landfill in Wakiso district, inclusive of Mama Amelia Kyambadde as an overseer of Ministry of Trade and Industry.

The government's 30 year master plan also known as Uganda Vision 2040 mentions little of the strategies to tackle major environmental ‘degraders'. The government should benchmark good environmental protection practices from countries in the region and developed countries for it to take impactful action against any form of manufacturing, marketing and distribution of these harmful plastic materials. This country is too young to be seen at 56 years only, dying so early than mean life expectancy of a typical Ugandan at 60 years.

Four days ago, the country's attention was focused on Kyotera celebrating 56 years of independence of a country manifested with ‘Kavera' syndrome and no ‘physician' has taken a bold step to stop the epidemic eating up the spines of Ugandans. Irrespective of the micronage, as fronted by some politicians to spare some micronage sizes on the market, total ban is long overdue. Plastic is plastic. No negotiation.

His Excellency the President of the Republic of Uganda has launched all the successful public health interventions including ABC strategy that reduced the HIV prevalence from 30% in the 1980s to the minimum prevalence so far ever witnessed at 6.1% in 2011,  and the recently launched day of physical activity aimed at fighting non-communicable diseases promoting health living in all age groups. We should live to witness the president advised to oversee the closure of polythene industry, command the arrest of the marketeers and distributors of the ‘buvera', Mr. President, akavera katumaraho.

The country is pregnant with a wish to a launch and marketing of paper manufacturing industries and cloth bags as sustainable alternatives, if we could plant enough forests and protect the ones already existing on the Pearl of Africa

The "bazukulu's'' future is bleak and their lives can only be guaranteed by what we commit today.

Writer is the MPH Specialist, Sheema District Health Officer

 

 

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