Experts urge Ugandan government to prioritize health system, support local vaccine production

At the Morning at NTV show today, experts highlighted the urgent need for Uganda to prioritize its health system and support local vaccine production to better handle epidemics like Mpox. Sabiiti Wilber, Co-Chair of the Interdisciplinary Consortium Epidemics, expressed concerns over the rising Mpox cases, emphasizing that swift action is needed to control its spread.

Allana Kembabazi, Programme Manager at the Initiative for Social and Economic Rights (ISER), stressed the importance of reforming the health system to ensure accessibility and affordability for all Ugandans. “Health cannot be reduced to mere numbers,” she said, referring to the challenges many Africans face in accessing healthcare during pandemics. Kembabazi called for immediate attention to the gaps in Uganda’s health infrastructure, drawing lessons from the COVID-19 pandemic.

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Wilber further emphasized the need for government support in vaccine research and development, urging officials to back local scientists. He highlighted that without strong governmental support, Africa’s innovations will remain underutilized. “A good scientist understands their ecosystem, and we must protect research through intellectual property laws,” he added.