Mukono District has taken a bold step toward safeguarding children’s health by convening key stakeholders to address gaps in routine immunisation and eliminate zero-dose cases.

Mukono District Headquarters:

In a meeting held at the District Headquarters Health Department boardroom, leaders and partners including health experts, political representatives, cultural leaders, media, and community-based organizations came together to develop action plans aimed at reaching zero-dose parishes. The initiative focuses on strengthening community mobilisation, improving access to vaccination services, and ensuring every child is protected from preventable diseases.

Dr. Isaac Dumba, the District HIV Focal Person and chair of the meeting, reaffirmed that all government health facilities provide immunisation services free of charge. He urged parents to take advantage of these services, emphasizing that vaccines protect children from deadly diseases, support healthy growth, and save families from high medical costs.

He further explained that children should receive nine essential vaccines before the age of two, and that those who miss doses can safely receive catch-up immunisation at any government facility in line with Ministry of Health guidelines.

Dr. Dumba also reassured the public that all vaccines administered in Uganda are approved by both the Ministry of Health and the World Health Organisation (WHO), meeting the highest safety standards. “Vaccinating children boosts immunity, reduces early childhood deaths, and eases household medical expenses,” he noted.

The District Health Educator, Ms. Nalongo Loy, guided participants through Uganda’s immunisation schedule and facilitated an interactive Q&A session. She reminded leaders and media of their critical role in social mobilisation to ensure parents bring their children for vaccination.

UNICEF’s representative, Mr. Savio, together with the district biostatistician, trained participants on profiling tools such as house-to-house registration forms and defaulter tracker registers. These tools will help track children who miss vaccines and strengthen follow-up at the community level.

The meeting concluded with the development of a district action plan and clear deliverables. These include compiling an activity report and scheduling sub-county trainings with immediate effect. Facilitators will use training materials such as Q&A booklets on routine immunisation and stakeholder role guides for social mobilisation.

After sub-county orientation for LC1 chairpersons and other community leaders, Village Health Teams (VHTs) and LC1 officials will undergo further training on using registration forms and defaulter tracker registers to ensure every child is reached.

However, health workers raised concerns about challenges encountered during outreach, including being mistaken for illegal operators by security personnel. In one instance, a health officer was rescued by former minister Ronald Kibuule after being confronted while on duty. District leaders advised teams to always seek prior clearance from relevant authorities before conducting community activities to avoid such incidents.

This meeting marks a significant step toward eliminating zero-dose cases in Mukono, strengthening community health systems, and giving every child a healthier start in life.