By Alexander Mackey Okori
Health workers in Karenga District now have a reason to smile following delivery of 19,500 additional doses of measles rubella vaccines by the Ministry of Health for mass immunization following the measles outbreak.
The good news comes at a time health workers have been struggling to contain a surge in measles cases amid vaccine stock out.
Measles rubella outbreak was declared in Karenga District by the ministry of health on March 2, 2026, following positive laboratory results from blood samples of five suspected cases.
Statistics from the office of the District Health Officer indicate that the district has had 130 accumulative cases since the outbreak was confirmed, with children aged between 6 months and five years being the most affected.
Dr. Andrew Deus Ilukol, the Karenga District Health Officer was grateful to the ministry of health for its quick response, following the letter he wrote on March 11, 2026, requesting for more vaccines to help the district combat measles outbreak.
“The Ministry has directed the district to carry out a mass immunisation campaign targeting 18,264 children, aged 6 months and 5 years,” he added.
Dr. Ilukol revealed that the district is conducting training of health in charges across all the public health facilities in the district ahead of the mass immunisation campaign due to commence on March 27, 2026 and ends on April 4, 2026.
“The ongoing orientation training focuses on vaccine management, safe injection practices, and interpersonal communication,” noted Dr. Ilukol.
Dr. Ilukol stated that the health in-charges will train other health workers at their respective health facilities who are going to carry out the immunisation drive.
Nicholas Banya, the charge of Karenga health Centre IV, which is the main isolation centre to embrace immunisation of children against measles among other killer diseases.
He noted that immunization is a vital preventive measure that had to be embraced by parents and guardians if their children were to keep healthy.
Banya warned that failing to vaccinate children leaves them unprotected against diseases that are easily preventable through free immunisation.
“More children’s lives would be saved if they were vaccinated against deadly diseases like measles”, Banya said, adding that Illnesses like measles can spread very easily between children who are not immunised, as we are currently seeing in our district.
Parents are also being encouraged not only to ensure their own children are fully up to date, but also to help raise awareness among family, friends and their wider communities about the importance of routine immunisation.
Measles burden in Uganda
Measles remains a significant public health challenge in Uganda, with the country experiencing frequent, recurring outbreaks despite ongoing vaccination efforts.
While national immunization programs have made progress, gaps in coverage and immunity leave communities, particularly children under five, vulnerable to the virus.
Between January and December 2025, Uganda recorded measles outbreaks in 67 districts, with 896 confirmed cases and some suspected deaths, mainly in Karamoja.
Children under 5 years of age are the most affected, accounting for 48.1 percent of confirmed cases, with a further 26.1 percent occurring in infants under 1 year.
However, the Permanent Secretary in the ministry of health, Dr. Diana Atwine said outbreak response vaccination reduced new outbreaks by 80 percent and confirmed cases by 73 percent by the end of the year.
Dr. Atwine emphasised that vaccination remains a core pillar of Uganda’s public health strategy, and that the Government of Uganda, through the Ministry of Health, prioritizes prevention of disease through vaccination as a cost-effective and life-saving public health intervention.
Also Read:
https://radioetoil.com/mass-measles-vaccination-drive-launched-in-napak-as-cases-surge/#google_vignette
https://radioetoil.com/karenga-district-runs-out-of-measles-vaccine-as-cases-surge/#google_vignette
https://radioetoil.com/unicef-urges-ugandas-health-ministry-to-step-up-fight-against-measles-outbreaks/
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