KAMPALA – Mildmay Uganda, a health-focused NGO supporting the Ministry of Health, has extended its efforts to strengthen immunization outcomes across the Greater Mukono districts of Mukono, Kayunga, Buvuma, and Buikwe. Through the Equity Accelerator Fund project, Mildmay seeks to address barriers preventing communities from fully embracing immunization.
Speaking during a stakeholders’ engagement at Rider Hotel, Seeta, Mr. Emmanuel Tumukugize, Mildmay’s representative, noted that many community members still do not fully understand the importance of immunization. The project, which runs from June to November 2025, is supported by UNEPI and PATH, with funding from GAVI, and Mildmay is among the 25 civil society organizations sub-granted to champion this cause.
The meeting drew together religious leaders, cultural leaders, district health workers, Village Health Teams (VHTs), and other community stakeholders to openly discuss challenges hindering immunization. Among the key issues highlighted were:
Gender roles and household dynamics that prevent some children from being immunized.
Work overload among women, leading to missed government-stipulated immunization dates.
To address these challenges, stakeholders developed an action plan, committing to intensified community sensitization on the importance of immunization and the risks of neglect. Parents, especially men, were urged to take shared responsibility. “If a wife is unable, the husband should ensure the children are immunized,” emphasized Mr. Emmanuel.
He further pledged that Mildmay would continue to engage leaders and community actors to sustain awareness and participation in both health and government programs.
Ms. Loy, Mukono District Health Educator, reinforced this message, calling on cultural and religious leaders to spread the “gospel of immunization.” She stressed that communities need to be reminded of the dangers of preventable diseases such as tuberculosis (TB), polio, and measles, which immunization can effectively curb.
With funding support from GAVI, the Equity Accelerator Fund project stands as a timely intervention to ensure that no child is left behind, and that immunization coverage in Greater Mukono steadily improves.
