Last Updated on: 10th September 2023, 01:48 pm
Lira I Community Health Extension Workers (Chews) in Lira city and Lira district have been supported with bicycles to ease their movement to offer better health service delivery.
Officiating at an event to distribute 196 bicycles, Health Minister and Lira City Woman MP, Dr Jane Ruth Aceng applauded Chews for their work – adding that it has had positive impacts on the population.
In the first phase, Lira city and Lira district are the first beneficiaries in Lango sub-region, and the Minister said it will be rolled out to other districts in the sub-region and across the country.
“…add more knowledge in the area of health,” she told Chews, reminding them that every day is for learning.
Speaking at the same event, Dr Ronald Oceetre who’s in charge of Health Promotions and Strategic Health Communication in the Ministry of Health, said the bicycles will help beneficiaries to reach more people and to provide better health services.
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Dr Oceetre applauded Minister Dr Aceng for her lobbying skills, believing that the bicycles will support community extension health workers in Lira City and Lira district.
Every month, each Chews receive shs150,000 from the government, and according to Oceetre, they’ll continue to pay them.
Dr Aceng lobbied for the bicycles from World Bicycle Relief – a not-for-profit NGO based in Chicago, USA, whose representatives were also in Lira City for the event.
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At least 800,000 bicycles have been distributed across 21 countries, according to Kolengo Maureen, the regional director of World Bicycle Relief for East Africa.
Out of the 196 bicycles, 50 per cent will be used by female Chews and Kolengo hopes that it will improve their lives and that of the people they will serve.