LEADERS RAISE RED FLAG OVER PARTICIPATION OF COLD CHAIN WORKERS IN NATIONAL MALARIA VACCINATION EXERCISE

Dr. Alfred Driwale, a Commissioner in the Ministry of Health, responding to the matters raised.
 
By Godwin Abedican
 
Arua City
 
Some leaders are concerned about the participation of the cold chain technicians and assistants in the nationwide Malaria eradication campaign through vaccination following recent payment irregularities which has seen them receive pay cuts.
 
The cold chain technicians and assistants are those responsible for maintaining the functionality of equipment used to store and transport temperature-sensitive items such as vaccines, ensuring they remain within the required temperature range and ensuring maintenance of the vaccine fridges.
 
Speaking during a regional stakeholders’ engagement on vaccination about the nationwide roll out of the malaria vaccine, Wilfred Saka, the district chairperson Terego noted the reduction in salaries has left the cold chain assistants deeply hurt.
 
“We talk about the safety of these vaccines, one big problem I have seen is with our fellows, the cold chain workers. The salaries dropped has demotivated these people. Their morale to do work is heavily affected. That drop is too drastic and I think it has caused some shock in them. I think we need to do something about that. We had a meeting with them recently and the team complaints that there are several moments when they are off duty,” Saka said.
 
Since the shifting of the payment of the cold chain workers to the Human Capital Management System introduced in 2021, Cold chain technicians who were earning about 2.2 million shillings under U5 per month had their pay dropped to the scale of U6 an equivalent of 1.5 million shillings whereas the cold chain assistants had a reduction from  a net pay of around 1 million shillings to a monthly pay of between  260,000 and 280,000 shillings.
 
Speaking on anonymity a source within the national association of the cold chain workers says that it is true that there are issues affecting the cold chain personnel but since the issue has been taken to the courts of law, they cannot make any official comments on a specific stand on their participation in the nationwide exercise saying that though certain things are being done at personal levels it is hard for the chain workers to decide on what to do and it will be down to individual thoughts and decisions.
 
Coutesy photo of a Cold chain box.
 
The leaders of the Uganda Local Government workers union have since called for the underpayment to be rectified an arrears be cleared.
 
However, Dr. Alfred Driwale, a Commissioner in the Ministry of Health, encourages the cold chain workers to continue working since there is already a way forward being drafted.
 
“This matter has been brought to the attention of the ministry. So what we are expecting of them is to behave as responsible as possible and use different channels to negotiate salaries rather than endangering lives of people and frustrating disease controlling efforts,” Dr. Driwale appealed.
 
On Wednesday April 2, 2025, Uganda launched the malaria vaccine introduction in Apac district as a trigger towards the long-expected elimination of malaria in the country and the cold chain workers are key workers in the national implementation of the malaria vaccination exercise.