TEREGO, MADI OKOLLO DISTRICTS TO BENEFIT FROM UGX 1.4 BILLION HEALTH PROJECT

By Morish Dramadri

Arua city

Two West Nile refugee hosting districts of Terego and Madi Okollo are set to benefit from a 29 months One Health project implemented by Kulika Uganda with funding from Malteser International.

The 361, 248 Euros approximately 1.4billion ugx project that targets 20 villages in the two districts aims at reducing the prevalence rate of zoonotic diseases in animals and people in the two areas.

While launching the project on Wednesday 13th August 2023, Magdeline Amujal the executive director of Kulika Uganda revealed that the project is intended to create holistic relationship between the environment, health of the humans and their animals. “West Nile region from the records that we got has had challenges of zoonotic diseases, the population has suffered with those diseases and this project is looking into establishing different components and creating a holistic relationship between the environment, human health and the health of the animals,” Amujal disclosed.

Magdeline Amujal CEO Kulika Uganda

Bayo Richard the regional epidemiologist Infectious Disease Institute in West Nile advocated for information sharing during the project to ensure real time detection of zoonotic diseases in the areas. “In Madi Okollo alone for the last five years we have had more than seven outbreaks for zoonotic diseases and nearly every year, at least twice in a year , we have outbreaks of anthrax but people still believes in not throwing meat away.

Animals die on daily basis in Madi Okollo more especially in the settlements, there are silent deaths we have been recording from animal bites. How are we going to enhance information sharing with health facilities to ensure real time detection?” Bayo inquired. 

Bayo Richard regional epidemiologist with IDI West Nile

Gift Peter the RWC III of Rhino camp refugee settlement called for the project impact on the refugee population. “Many projects have come and gone, refugees have remained the same.

Today, all over the country, refugees are having challenges with their livelihood just because the projects have come and have not impacted. I want to call on this project to impact on the communities, both refugee and the hosts. Let’s focus much on the project so that we are able to change because doing the same thing year in and year out”, Peter urged. 

But Anguparu Lilian the senior secretary in the office of the chief Administrative Officer Terego district appealed to the funders for more funds to widen the scope of the project. “In the nearest future, you should get more funding so that the scope is widened. From the expressions of the two districts, it’s very clear that this is a very relevant intervention given our location as the two districts, but the intervention seems to be targeting a very small population”, Anguparu said.

Among the components of the One Health Project include building and improvement of slaughter houses, construction of waste management plants in markets etc.

COVER PHOTO: Representatives of the two districts signing on the project banner at launch of the project By Morish Dramadri