Museveni receives global award for remarkable role in Covid-19 Fight

Kampala, (UG):- Uganda’s President, H.E Yoweri Museveni, and his former Kenyan counterpart, Uhuru Kenyatta have been recognized with global awards for their relentless efforts in the fight against coronavirus diseases during the Covid-19 pandemic era.

Mr Museveni will be recognized alongside prominent Ugandan nominees who include; former Minister, Prof Mary Karooro Okurut, Health Minister; Dr Jane Ruth Aceng Ocero, Science and Technology Minister; Dr Monica Musenero, Health Ministry Permanent Secretary Dr Diana Atwine, and Prof Patrick Engeu Ogwang, the proprietor of Covidex Herbal Syrup.

Others are; Prof Pontiano Kaleebu, Dr Emmanuel Katongole and Lt. Col. Dr. Henry Kyobe, remembered famously for his coordination role in Uganda’s Covid-19 fight.

According to Ambassador Abbey Walusimbi, the Senior Presidential Advisor on Diaspora Affairs who is at the forefront of this initiative, President Museveni will receive the away at the first-ever international Post-covid-l9 conference, scheduled for July 11th – 13th this year in Toronto, Canada.

“Uganda through The Office of the Senior Advisor on Diaspora Affairs – Office of the President, in conjunction with Livelihood Development Initiatives International (LDII), IGAD, Globa! World Canada, and The African Union 6th Region; is organizing the First International Post-covid-l9 conference, on 11th
13th July 2024 at Metro Toronto Convention Center in Canada,” reads in part a press statement issued by Ambassador Walusimbi.

“This Global event among other things will recognize Uganda as a Role Model for Pandemic Containment in Africa. The Head of State of the Republic of Uganda, Gen. Yoweri Kaguta Museveni will be honored with a Global Award at the International Platform,” the statement adds.

This first international post-COVID-19 conference strives to bring together global leaders, experts and stakeholders to discuss and strategise on the post-pandemic recovery efforts, particularly focusing on public health responses and ethical considerations in designing and implementing and prepare the global community to respond to future global shocks and emergencies in a unified well-coordinated effort.

The conference, this publication understands that it will be a platform to discuss policies that facilitate mobilisation and distribution of resources, address social and structural inequities/inequalities in the world, and investment in human resource capital development.

The event also aims to enhance the distribution of medicines, propose sustainable pandemic financing, harmonise pandemic and emergency communication, and equitable diffusion of technological innovations, among others. The theme of the conference is: “Evaluating the Impact of COVID-19, On Humanity- Building Synergies and Resilience for Future Global Shocks”.

In April 2022, The United Kingdom awarded President Museveni for the role the played in managing the Coronavirus pandemic in the country. The international Covid tracker then showed that Uganda had 164069 infections and 3596 deaths related to Covid since the pandemic was first reported in the country in March 2020.

Whereas Uganda had one of the longest lockdowns in the world that lasted over two years, the country is credited for having reduced the number of Covid infections and deaths during the period.

Despite many castigating him, President Museveni always insisted that all other things could wait but not life. He noted that not many people died of Covid in Uganda because his directives were followed to the latter which led to a few people being hospitalized.

“Those who were healed were healed because the numbers in the treatment centres were few and the doctors could concentrate on them. I appeal to you Ugandans for those whose activities we have opened up, observe the social distance, I beg you for the sake of yourself. Keep the distance, put on the mask don’t go in public without a mask,” the President said on several occasions.