Kyabazinga Calls for Greater Role of Kingdom Structures in Community Healthcare

What the report says

Busoga king William Gabula Nadiope IV has called on Uganda’s Ministry of Health to work more closely with cultural institutions to improve community health promotion and disease prevention. Nile Post reports that he made the remarks on Thursday at the ministry’s fourth Health Promotion and Disease Prevention Conference at Speke Resort Munyonyo, where he attended as a special guest representing kingdoms and cultural leaders.

The Kyabazinga said Busoga’s kingdom structures, including chiefs, clan leaders and volunteers, could help government reach households with health information and preventive services. He pointed to what he described as more than 200,000 Empango Village community safeguarding committees in Busoga as a network that could support grassroots health work. The conference theme focused on positioning community structures for health promotion and disease prevention, and discussions also covered immunisation, maternal and child health, mental health, outbreak preparedness and responses to misinformation.

Gabula also used the forum to highlight teenage pregnancy, which he said remains a major concern in Busoga. He urged coordinated action to keep young people in school, support boys and girls with mentorship, and expand economic opportunities for youth. According to the report, he cited a teenage pregnancy rate of 28% in Busoga, compared with a national figure of 24%, with Mayuge, Kamuli and Namayingo among the districts he identified as more affected.

Vice President Jessica Alupo, who attended the event, reaffirmed government support for health priorities and praised the Kyabazinga’s role in health advocacy. The broader message of the conference was that closer cooperation between state health agencies and community-based structures could improve access to information, early detection and prevention efforts across Uganda.