kwania

‘Before he was told kuja hapa’, Kwania dad stood by his religion against polio jab

(Last Updated On: 15 January 2022)

Kwania received 51,900 dozes from the Ministry of Health through Uganda National Expanded Programme on Immunization (UNEPI).


Kwania – January 15, 2022: Kwania district leaders are told to take strong action by arresting people trying to sabotage the national house-to-house polio vaccination of children.

The Ministry of Health launched the vaccination campaign on Friday and will close Sunday, January 16.

On Friday, a 56-year-old Kwania father refused his two kids from being immunized.

Yeko Bua, a resident of Agwaa cell, Central ward, Ayabi town council in Kwania district told the immunization team that his religion does not support such kind of immunization. He was serious about his belief.

According to the LC III Chairperson of Ayabi town council, Ebuu John Denis, the immunization process started very well and it was only Bua, a father of five who refused the campaign.

TND News Doreen Acipa spoke with the District Health Officer of Kwania, Dr Moses Ebong who confirmed that he was called by his health team on the ground about Bua’s act. 

“I rushed to the field and sensitized Bua and his family about the importance of polio immunization,” Dr Ebong said.

Bua’s extra decision to refuse his children from being immunized was that the vaccine would make them vomit. “My religion does not support the excise the DHO explained.”

After being told that the security team would say “kuja hapa mzee” (come here mzee), defiant dad immediately understood and accepted that his children be immunized. In agony, he watched them being immunized.

Dr Ebong stayed for 15 minutes and monitored the kids after they were immunized. None of them vomited.

Kwania DHO added Bua has never allowed any of his children to be taken for routine immunization, promising to get back and see ways of helping the innocent children.

The district health officer urged the community to stop a misconception of the polio vaccine because polio immunization reduces the burden on parents, the community and the nation at large.


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During the lunch on Friday, Resident District Commissioner of Kwania Canon Richard Ogwang Odyero promised to arrest any Church leader who will jeopardize the vaccination.

RDC Odyero said immunization strengthens the body’s ability to fight diseases consequently reducing the chances of falling sick or dying from diseases that can be prevented by immunization.

“Immunization can also protect the entire community from the vaccine preventable diseases and outbreaks because a child who is fully immunized is protected against such diseases for life,” he added.

Kwania received 51,900 dozes from the Ministry of Health through Uganda National Expanded Programme on Immunization (UNEPI) and the targeted number are 47,148 from 427 villages, 51 parishes and 11 sub-counties.

Complaints about some denominations (religion) preaching against polio immunization were also registered in Otuke and Alebtong districts. 

This was confirmed by the LC 5 chairpersons of the two districts both of whom threatened to arrest anybody who refuse the activity.

The threat of importation into Uganda

The risk of importation of polio from the Horn of Africa are categorized into two zones: 1 and 2; where zone 1: Outbreak and higher risk area are Somalia, Kenya Ethiopia and zone 2: Higher risk area of South Sudan (6 districts), Tanzania (21 districts) and Uganda (21 districts).

The goals of Polio Endgame Strategy 2019-2023 seek to contribute to strengthening immunization and health systems to help achieve and sustain polio eradication, and communicable disease surveillance systems, prepare for and respond to future outbreaks and emergencies.

 In May 2014, the Director-General of WHO declared the International Spread of World Polio Virus a “public health emergency of international concern,” and issued temporary recommendations under the International Health Regulations (2005) to prevent further spread of the disease.

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