In Kasese, Village Health Teams take to door-to-door sensitization to battle COVID-19
UNICEF provides equipment and protective gear to facilitate their sensitization efforts and safety
It is mid-morning on a Thursday when we find Mary Kiiza preparing to leave her simple, neat home in the mountainous Buhuna Parish of Karambi sub county in Kasese District. The Village Health Team (VHT) member is in a hurry as she prepares to go out to do her work, mobilizing her community for the battle against COVID-19.
Her kit contains printed Information, Education and Communication (IEC) materials and other health responder’s equipment, but the most important item for today’s mission is the megaphone. She checks the batteries, removes them, opens a new pack, and puts in fresh ones for a better charge this morning. She tests the microphone and the megaphone responds with a loud sound.
Kiiza slips on easy shoes, flings her kit bag over the shoulder, grabs her megaphone, and sets off, manoeuvering the hilly terrain effortlessly.
Reaching a small hill, she calls out, “Fellow citizens…” and goes on to greet the people, telling them in the same breath that she wants to rally them to keep the deadly COVID-19 disease away from their lives and homes.
The megaphones may not sound so loud to the person standing next to the speaker, but their sound carries far. Perhaps the terrain helps too. From many hills around, Kiiza sees the number of curious people grow. They come out to listen as she explains how COVID-19 is transmitted. She explains the importance of the face mask. The figures of speech she uses in the local Lukonzo language tickle the children and their sharp shrieks of laughter ring out from several homesteads on the hills. Farther down on a curvy road, people have stopped to listen.
Kiiza is discussing handwashing and something she said must have amused the women, as it is their turn to laugh this time.
It is amazing the number of people who are listening.
She tackles social distancing and then vaccination.
All activity has virtually stopped in many homes and even on the footpaths, nobody is moving as they pay attention. She concludes her address, which has lasted about 30 minutes and hits the road again.
She walks to another hill, where she repeats the session. In all, she does three sessions from atop three hills this morning.
UNICEF, which has been supporting and working closely with VHTs in the district, provided 42 megaphones for 42 parishes. Government of Uganda topped up by procuring another 150 pieces.
In addition to the equipment, as part of its infection, prevention, and control interventions, UNICEF, with financial assistance from the Swedish International Development Agency (SIDA), has availed VHTs like Kiiza with personal protective gear, cloth and disposable masks, gum boots, rain coats to support their day-to-day work and facilitate safe interaction with communities, especially during the pandemic.
COVID-19 sensitization through home visits
After her three sessions that cover the whole parish, Kiiza embarks on her home visits. In the homestead of Diphrose Mbambu, she meets with a widow in her sixties who lives with three of her eight children and five grandchildren. Mbambu is drying her cassava in the compound and she welcomes Kiiza who is well known to her.
After pleasantries are exchanged Kiiza starts asking about the state of preparedness in the home. Are the masks clean? Do the children always wear them before stepping out of home? Do they remember social distancing? What about the last burial Mbambu attended – did she keep her mask on?
Kiiza visits two more homes as she does her checks on the residents.
An hour later, the district health educator leads an open-air meeting where the parish leaders are holding a community dialogue, assessing the work of the local taskforce and the elected leaders/councillors in ensuring that COVID-19 is contained. Kiiza listens attentively.
At the meeting, leaders and VHTs review their work as residents raise their latest concerns.
The meeting resolves to increase vigilance by the leaders and VHTs during market activities to ensure adherence to the Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs). Members also agree that it is strict observation of preventive measures and SOPs that will hasten the lifting of the remaining lockdown restrictions and subsequent opening up of all sectors and economic activities.
Thanks to SIDA funds, through UNICEF, Kiiza, and dozens of her counterpart VHTs in Kasese District are combing the hillside settlements, doing risk communication and education, to keep the people informed and prepared to ward off the deadly COVID-19 virus.
