Uganda has witnessed an increasing gender equality across sectoral developments overtime. This is evident with the high girl child education enrolment, women leadership, among others. However the year 2020 crippled this realization due to a pandemic outbreak (Covid-19) which has since left Uganda in struggle to collectively fight the novel disease through preventive measures.
Research studies indicate that preventive measures have a higher efficacy in lessening Covid-19 and its spread as compared to treatment after infection.
In response to preventing spread of Covid-19, World Health Organization (WHO) developed Standard Operating Procedures in 2020 to which all countries were recommended to observe.
According to WHO, the virus spreads from an infected person’s mouth or nose in small liquid particles when they cough, sneeze, speak or breathe. This is when the infected person is in close range with another person. In addition the virus can spread through poorly ventilated/ crowded areas in addition to touching contaminated surfaces and then interacting with their nose, mouth without washing hands.
Globally, countries localized WHO Standard Operating Procedures into national effective mechanisms. Uganda through Ministry of Health in March 2020 picked on several like social/physical distancing, facemasking, balanced diet, avoiding crowds, lockdowns among others.
To communicate better, the Ministry of health employed health behavioral change campaigns in which the population would be increasingly persuaded into combating further spread of Covid-19 that had penetrated the country on March 21, 2020. Campaigns like Tonsembelela, Yambala Mask have since been widely been reechoed on the different media across the country.
Despite enforcing these mechanisms to the edge of lockdowns with heroic business women sleeping in the food market places for over 14 days with the very first lockdown on March 31 2020, Uganda is yet to win the fight. These required to economically survive with provision for their families and feeding the nation but still safeguarding themselves and loved ones without interaction.
For an average food market place in Uganda, it is a closely collected stalls positioning of various foodstuffs that are both perishable and non perishable. These come with open-sided shelters and some temporal with large umbrellas in addition to limited water and toilet accessibility which are publicly shared. The nights in Uganda especially Kampala come with a cold breeze that leaves one in shivers for warmth in addition to the irritating buzzing sounds of mosquitoes that merry with exposed skin for them to feast. These women missed and longed for their children, beds and families back home. The related experiences during this fight are touching.
In one of De Lovie’s authorships on ‘Life in Kampala under Covid-19 Lockdown’ Amali a 58 year old market food vendor in one of the Kampala markets related that she desired Covid-19 to end for her freedom of movement again.
“I miss my family especially my grandchildren! But what do you do if this is what it takes to earn a living? The ground is hard but I hope this Corona things end soon so I can have the freedom of movement again.” said Amali.
Amali’s hopes can now only be considered as short-lived as the country only relived freedom relaxed from the pandemic from July 2020 to June 2021 as cases kept tolerably fluctuating. However it all started dimming with increasing variant outbreaks and citizen behavioral laxity in the country, recently with severity of the delta variant among others.
With over 60,250 confirmed cases as of June 18 2021, President Museveni directed for another total 42days lockdown to combat further spread of the already widely spreading second wave of the disease across the country. This again called for women to sleep at market places among other measures for socio-economic continuity under lockdown.
According to the President in his June 18 2021 state of nation address on Covid-19, the lockdown measures are intended to de-congregate the infected and vulnerable individuals to deny the virus a chance to spread.
Souring at 85,581 registered cases so far, through observing SOPs among other facilitations, Uganda has enormously had 58,686 infected recover despite losing 2,033 to the deadly virus.
As the world tramples with more deadly mutations of this Corona Virus and strive to develop a full cure for the disease, SOPs are the higher alternative to fight/lessen spread of the pandemic. Are you in Observance?
In lessening, Uganda is equally vaccinating its population with AstraZeneca Vaccine, a vaccine manufactured by India and supplied through COVAX facility in accordance to approval by WHO. So far 1,027,036 doses have been administered since March 2021 start of vaccination exercise. According to Ministry of Health as of July 2 2021, 861,645 people had received their first dose while 129,257 had got second jab.
Corona Virus causing Covid-19 respiratory disease was first reported in December 2019 in Wuhan China, and consequently declared a pandemic by WHO in early 2020 after its speedy spread across the globe. This virus has differently mutated into various variants and according to Ugandan scientists, the country suffers six strains so far. Among these variants include those from South Africa, UK, India, Nigeria, Uganda and Wuhan China.
Some of the symptoms experienced once infected are sore throat, flue, cough, nasal congestion, fever, headache, high temperature, difficult breathing, among others with severity. Seek medical help once experiencing the mentioned.
#Stay Safe, Observe SOPs and adhere to the 42 days Lock down. We Can fight this through Collective efforts!
Sure, no dropping guard. Let us continue with the SOPs, it is and will continue helping us.