Uganda has adopted the Village Health Team (VHT) strategy as a new battlefront to quell the resurgence of coronavirus in the country, says the health ministry.
Under the Team strategy, community members who have basic knowledge about healthcare go door to door to check on the health condition of local households.
Once suspicious COVID-19 cases are detected, they will be sent to the nearest health centre for further examination.
The Team members will also educate household members to follow social distancing rules and health tips to avoid contracting COVID.
Uganda registered 484 new COVID-19 cases on Wednesday, bringing the national caseload to 18,890.
Meanwhile, five new related deaths were reported across the country, taking the nationwide death toll to 191, according to data of the health ministry.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) has warned that Uganda’s epidemic situation is likely to worsen, noting that for the last four weeks the east African country has recorded more than 6,000 COVID-19 cases and 60 deaths from the disease.
“We are expected to see more deaths,” Yonas Woldemariam, WHO Country Representative, told a health conference on Wednesday.
The ministry has warned that the country’s health system is overwhelmed by surging COVID-19 cases.
Francis Omaswa, a renowned Ugandan Health Expert, said that the strategy would get local communities fully involved in the fight against COVID-19 by making every individual accountable to themselves.
Omaswa said that this time, the strategy, supported with the other structures in the communities such as the village councils, will help contain COVID-19.
“If the strategy is implemented, it will improve the healthcare of our community,” Omaswa said at the launch ceremony of the village COVID-19 task force committees.
Secretary General of the Uganda Local Authorities Association Raphael Magyezi said the country has more than 70,000 village councils, and each council has 10 members.
He said these were formidable forces that can help sensitize local communities to the danger of coronavirus.
Robert Kwesiga, Secretary General of Uganda Red Cross Society, said that the society has more than 400,000 volunteers who can, together with the village committees, contribute to battling the pandemic.
Community engagement strategy can be the game changer, said Kwesiga, noting that the relief organisation can use its technical expertise to supplement government efforts in the fight against the virus.
“Together, by strengthening the community ownership and individual responsibility, we can prevail over the pandemic,” Kwesiga said.
