Kampala, (UG):- The Prime Minister of Uganda Rt. Hon. Nabbanja Robinah Wednesday officially opened the 3rd Health Promotion and Disease Prevention Conference at Speke Resort Munyonyo with full emphasis on the critical role of Community Health Workers (CHWs) in disease prevention.
The ‘Health Promotion and Disease Prevention Conference’ is an annual convention that brings together key stakeholders to share experiences, innovations, and challenges in working with community health workers to promote health and prevent disease.
In her opening remarks, PM Nabbanja emphasized that the function aims to build on the success of previous editions of the conference with focus on emerging challenges and how innovative approaches to them can help improve the country’s health sector.
“Today’s gathering is a testimony to our collective determination to build on the successes of the previous Health promotion conferences and confront emerging challenges with innovative approaches. We recognize the crucial role that Community Health Workers (CHWs) play in this mission,” said Nabbanja.
“I am pleased to see that this year’s focus is on strengthening their contributions to disease prevention and health promotion.”
Ms Nabbanja praised the CHWs as the unsung heroes of the healthcare system, working tirelessly to bring essential services to remote and underserved communities. Nabbanja stressed that strengthening the capacity of CHWs, through programs like the Community Health Extension Workers (CHEWs), would play a vital role in alleviating the burden on Uganda’s health infrastructure.
“The introduction of the Community Health Extension Workers (CHEWs) program is a step in the right direction. It promises to bridge gaps in service delivery and provide more structured support to our CHWs. I encourage the Ministry of Health to expedite the implementation of this program and ensure its nationwide reach.”
The Minister for Health, Dr Jane Ruth Aceng in her remarks said the conference focuses on exploring innovative strategies, digital transformations and effective partnerships to build robust health systems. The Minister further re-echoed the Prime Minister’s sentiments, focusing on the Ministry of Health’s ongoing efforts to professionalize the community health workforce.
She highlighted the CHEWs program as a major step forward in expanding access to essential healthcare services and addressing long-standing gaps, particularly in rural areas.
“The introduction of the CHEWs program represents a significant step forward in expanding access to essential healthcare services. It aims to address gaps in service delivery and ensure that communities, even in remote areas, receive the care they need,” Dr. Aceng stated. She also noted the key role CHWs played during the COVID-19 pandemic and stressed that over 75% of diseases could be prevented through community-level health interventions.
The Minister revealed that the Ministry is undergoing a harmonization of CHW roles to streamline coordination and improve efficiency. She called for sustained support for CHWs through resources, training, and supervision, to ensure their success translates into healthier communities across Uganda.
On her part, Health Ministry Permanent Secretary, Dr Diana Atwine said; “The success of health promotion and disease prevention at the community level will largely depend on our strategy to sensitize the community. When we integrate, we optimize resources and get the best out of this.”
All leaders expressed their deep gratitude to development partners and conference organizers, praising their efforts to advance health promotion and disease prevention in Uganda.
Organised under the theme “Building Resilient Health Systems for Disease Prevention through Strengthening Health Workers,” the conference at Speke Resort Munyonyo aims to “enhance resilient health systems for disease prevention by empowering and strengthening Community Health Workers.”
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