Ministry of Health plans free Hepatitis B camps for Kampala

Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT |  Excess Hepatitis B vaccines from northern Uganda will be withdrawn and will supply planned free immunization camps in Kampala in the next six months.

The free Hepatitis B camps will start as soon as the National Medical Stores collects all the drugs due to expire later this year from the districts where they had been sent to. The ministry of health has in the past six months been vaccinating against Hepatitis B in 39 districts in northern Uganda but finds itself with expiring drugs as many people are not returning for the follow up doses.

The Hepatitis vaccine is given in three doses in one year but the Ministry of Health is struggling to sensitize many who get a single dose and do not return.

“Excess vaccines from northern Uganda will be brought back to Kampala for special Hepatitis B camps in Uganda. When Medical Stores completes the logistics of returning the drugs , we shall announce camps in Kampala, the way we did the yellow fever last year, ” said Dr Jackson Amone, the Commissioner for Clinical Services.

Doctor Amone also explained that laboratory results had indicated that the Hepatitis B vaccines that had been feared to be fake, were genuine but that had their labeling changed.

Permanent Secretary Dr Diana Atwine confirmed that the annual budget to handle Hepatitis remains at sh10billion, which they are using to handle the virus in phased manner. After northern Uganda, and Kampala, the ministry will push resources to Busoga and then Western Uganda.

Earlier Dr Bernard Opar, the Program Manager Uganda National Expanded Program on Immunization (UNEPI)  told the press at a Ministry of Health media breakfast meeting in Kampala on Monday that majority of children below 16 are already protected against Hepatitis B. He said focus should be on children above 16 and adults only.

He said the immunisation programmes for newly born children since 2002 have included the DPT vaccince that providesprotection against Hepatitis B.

Ministry of Health officials also explained the various immunization programmes being undertaken countrywide. They explained the supply chain for vaccines, measles outbreak,  introduction of Rota Virus in routine immunization schedule,  HPV Vaccination, Integrated Child Health Days and other updates on Immunization.

Health Ministry PS Dr Diane Atwine, Dr Tabley Bakyayita Basajjatebadiba – Asst. Commissioner Health Promotion and Education together with Dr Henry Luze of the Uganda National Expanded Program on Immunization (UNEPI) also briefed the press on the various programmes in the pipeline.