Tribal fights affect vaccination

TRIBAL fighting and destruction of health facilities in the Kagua-Erave district are having an adverse affect on the measles, rubella and polio vaccination campaigns starting this week in Southern Highlands.
Fred Nondo, from the Southern Highlands Provincial Health Authority (SHPHA), said yesterday that vaccinations teams couldn’t get into Erave from Kagua because of roadblocks at Kagua set up by armed warriors. Nondo said that the Sumbra and Yagisu health centres were recently vandalised, leaving buildings standing empty with health workers gone.
He said that solar panels and refrigerator use to store some vital drugs were removed from the two health centers.
He said that the ongoing tribal fight at Sugu Valley affected the delivery of health services and putting more lives at risk.
“We can’t send vaccinations teams into the two area and vaccinate kids under the age of six against measles rubella and polio.”
Nondo said that the road was also blocked and health workers would not risk their lives.
He said the emergency operation center of the SHPHA postponed the vaccinations programme in the Sugu Valley and surrounding areas until the fighting is brought under control.
Nondo said that 125 team involving 600 people were deployed to their designate sites to carry out the immunization programme.
He said that they aimed to vaccinate 89,000 children under the age of five during this integrated measles rubella and polio vaccinations programme.
He said the immunisation programme started yesterday and would take few weeks to complete.
Meanwhile, sources from Mendi police headquarters said the Southern Highlands peace and good order committee led by chairman and former premier Yauntin Koromba, visited the tribal fighting area last week to assess the situation and declare a fighting zone for police to move in and camp.