President Yoweri Museveni has urged all African Heads of State and government to adopt multiple and cheaper ways of health services in solving the challenges of most of diseases afflicting the common person.
He cited immunization, hygiene, nutrition and behaviour change as some of the cheaper ways used by the Government of Uganda in combating most of the common diseases. “We struggled on getting resources; on the other hand we looked for cheaper ways of providing health services”, he noted.
President Yoweri Museveni
President Museveni was last evening speaking at a gala dinner held at Commonwealth Resort Hotel, Munyonyo that was attended by African leaders and their spouses. Entertainment music and songs were, among others, provided by a renowned South African performing diva, entrepreneur, humanitarian and philanthropist Ms. Yvonne Chaka Chaka who is also a United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) Goodwill Ambassador against Malaria.
Chaka Chaka heads her own charity, the Princess of Africa Foundation, which is dedicated to raising awareness and initiative to eradicate malaria; a needless disease that Chaka Chaka says people need to know more about because it is preventable and curable but kills 3,000 people in Africa daily and about 1 million Africans succumb to it yearly.
President Museveni noted that there is need for African leaders to carry out a campaign of not drinking un-boiled water to avoid a host of water-borne diseases adding that the Government of Uganda has spearheaded the construction of boreholes in the Northern parts of the country to eliminate the guinea worm that used to come from drinking unclean water.
The President emphasized the need for Africa to pay more attention to foundation related issues of development like electricity and infrastructure, if more meaningful maternal health care, the theme of the 15th AU Summit in Kampala, is to be realized. He said that there is strong linkage between economic growth and sustainable maternal health.
African Union Chairman and President of Malawi, Professor Bingu wa Mutharika commended the Summit for addressing the issues of maternal health. He called for action by African leaders to ensure the lives of women are saved.
The United Nations Deputy Secretary General, Dr. Asha Rose Migiro, said the issue of maternal health is a barometer to social economic development. She noted that to ensure development, countries need healthy women and children. She, therefore, called on African leaders to work hard and use the available resources to save the lives of their people.