The State House medical team is carrying out a major health outreach at Kasensero Landing Site.
Stationed at Muyomba Gardens, Kyotera District, the State House’s health camp is reaching out to hundreds of residents from both the mainland and Kasensero Island. The camp, which started yesterday, is scheduled to run until December 12, 2025.
Held under the theme: “Building a Sustainable HIV/AIDS and TB Response to End HIV/AIDS and TB as a Public Threat”, the integrated medical camp aims to strengthen community-based prevention, screening, and treatment in Kasensero landing site.
Residents are receiving a wide range of free health services, including breast, cervical, and prostate cancer screening, a fully equipped TB mobile clinic, and testing for malaria, hypertension, and diabetes, among other conditions. After screening, patients are given medication and follow up advice to ensure continuity of care.
In her speech delivered by the Assistant Director- State House Health Monitoring Unit-Central region, Dr. Ponsiano Jjumba during the opening of the medical camp, the State House Comptroller, Ms. Jane Barekye noted that it is the policy of the government to promote proper health.
“As you might all be aware,it is the policy of the government and H.E the President to promote proper health to all Ugandans. As the government of Uganda, it’s important to sustain the good health and wellbeing of our people,that is why this health activity was organised,” she said.
Ms. Barekye also called upon the residents to take advantage of this opportunity by taking full participation.
“Our goal is to reach out to the people in far hard-to-reach areas and support the health needs of the community. I therefore encourage all of you to participate and take advantage of this opportunity.”
On his part, Dr. Jjumba advised the residents of kasensero to be very cautious about diseases.
“You can always use preventive measures like using condoms to avoid HIV,” he remarked.
He also warned fishermen using mosquito nets for fishing to rather use them for prevention of diseases like Malaria.
“The government is giving out mosquito nets for prevention,so don’t use them for fishing,”he said.
Nakachwa Viola, the HIV and TB focal person from State House noted that Kasensero island was chosen for the medical camp because most people are sometimes unable to access health services like cancer screening because such services are expensive and unavailable in the area.
The Regional coordinator on leprosy programmes, Ms. Nyirazihawe Isabella Marble thanked the organizing committee of the camp, noting that it helps people in far-to-reach areas to access health services.
“I want to thank the organizing committee because this is very beneficial to the people of kasensero since they will get early screening ,early diagnosis and early treatment,”she said.
She also urged the government to continue promoting such camps annually, stating that this will help in prevention of diseases in communities.
The Resident District Commissioner of Kyotera, Mr. Apollo Mugume thanked the government of Uganda for extending medical services to Kasensero island saying that it has helped residents to get an opportunity to get screened for diseases like breast cancer,cervical cancer and prostate cancer, among others which are hard to be diagnosed in small clinics.
He also called upon the residents to stop using mosquito nets for fishing.
The residents also expressed gratitude to the State House for the medical camp.
Mr.Bwambale Alex thanked the government of Uganda for organizing the medical camp and requested for more such camps on an annual basis.
Ms. Nakawoya Leticia also thanked the government for thinking about them and bringing the camp to Kasensero, saying that she has got an opportunity to screen for cancer.
Kasensero remains a historical epicentre of Uganda’s HIV/AIDS epidemic, and health experts say the ongoing camp is part of a renewed push to curb persistent infection rates ,end HIV/AIDS as a public health threat by 2030 and build a more resilient community health system.
The camp will continue providing services throughout the week as mobilisation teams encourage more residents to turn up for screening and treatment.
The event was attended by government officials,representatives from Uganda Cancer Institute, and Infectious Disease Institute Uganda ,local leaders, among others.
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