The districts of Kibaale, Hoima,Bullisa and Nebbi have been hit by a cholera epidemic. Uganda Red Cross Society has trained and deployed 103 volunteers to support the Ministry of Health and districts health teams contain the epidemic.
The volunteers have been trained in epidemic control, participatory hygiene and sanitation transformation. Their role is to engage affected households in hygiene promotion.
The Uganda Red Cross Society (URCS) has deployed 3, 111 volunteers to support government in mobilizing parents and guardians to participate in a countrywide mass measles campaign scheduled for May 26-28. The campaign is targeting children under 5 years.
In addition to the volunteers, URCS will also deploy 28 staff and 14 vehicles that will be used in the social mobilization exercise. The vehicles will also assistant district health centres to transport health workers and vaccines to the vaccination points.
Soroti Municipality MP Capt. Michael Mukula has pledged to steer the formation of friends of Uganda Red Cross Society association to boost its resource mobilization efforts countrywide.
Mukula who was chief guest at Charity Walk organized on 2nd May 2012 to kick start events for the World Red Cross Red Crescent Day said he would start off with fellow Members of Parliament.
Written by Catherine Ntabadde
Tuesday, 10 April 2012 08:28
3, 202 refugees from the Democratic Republic of Congo are camped at Nyakabande Refugee Camp in Kisoro District. 713 of the refugees arrived on Easter Monday.
Uganda Red Cross Society (URCS) continues to support Office of Prime Minister and partners UNHCR manage the camp. According to URCS Kisoro Branch Manager Johnson Kyomukama, the Red Cross is providing registration services, first aid, promotion of hygiene and sanitation in the camp, construction of shelter for the refugees.
Tuesday, 10 April 2012 09:05
By Allan Kwero-Communications volunteer
A new cholera treatment centre has been set up at Bukigai Health Centre in Bududa district due to the increasing cholera cases. Already a cholera treatment centre had been established at Manafwa Health Centre although no case has been registered.
According to Uganda Red Cross Society (URCS) Bubulo Branch Manager Welikhe Alex, the situation is still worrying as new cases are increasing in other sub counties.
Since 16th February this year when a cholera outbreak was declared as an epidemic in Mbale District, the Uganda Red Cross Society-developed a strategy to reduce the spread.
The Uganda Red Cross Society (URCS) has started spraying homes of cholera patients’ in Mbale District as it works with authorities to reduce the spread of the disease in communities.
URCS has so far sprayed 40 homes of cholera patients in Busamaga Parish in Wanale Division and Namatala Parish in Industrial Division. Mbale district requested the Red Cross to conduct in-door spraying of the homes to combat the spread.
Written by Catherine Ntabadde
Monday, 12 March 2012 09:32
The Government of Uganda has assigned Uganda Red Cross Society (URCS) the role to distribute food to 10, 975 families whose children have been affected by the Nodding disease in Kitgum, Pader and Lamwo districts. The Distribution kicked off on Friday in Kitgum district.
Written by Catherine Ntabadde
Friday, 09 March 2012 12:07
By Stephen Wamukota-Regional Program Manager URCS Mbale
Following the cholera epidemic out-break in Mbale from 14th February 2012 and confirmed on 16th February to date, the total cumulative number affected is 96 and 6 death reported .
Most affected areas: Namatala , Nakoloke , Busamaga, Doko cell and Mooni
By Everns Turyahikayo Bagumuhunda, focal person, URCS Kabale Branch
Kabale District has been threatened by famine and its related effects since the last decade. The disaster has now gone beyond the measure of anticipation since September 2011. The climate has relatively changed. Rains and sunshine are no longer reliable, yet farmers culturally follow the order of planting. As a result, crops meet heavy rains, hailstorms, and droughts at different seasons.
“If it wasn’t for the aid given by various partners like UN, Red Cross, many Karamajongs would be starving,” lamented Moroto District Chairperson Rev. Mark Aol Musoka.
Whereas he appreciates the aid given by development partners in the district, Musoka notes that authorities want the communities to move away from donor dependency to self reliance.
He noted that they are encouraging communities to become self reliance through food production despite the unpredictable weather conditions in Karamoja region.
The Uganda Red Cross Society (URCS) recently conducted a baseline survey to strengthen its Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) interventions in Bududa and Manafwa Districts.
URCS with funding from DFID through British Red Cross is implementing short term and long term DRR initiatives that started in 2011 and will last until 2014.
A team from URCS, a representative from BRC Robert Roots met with communities to establish the needs that the DRR program should address.
The Uganda Red Cross has today (Feb 9) began distributing essential household items to 4,000 families recovering from the September 2011 floods and landslides.
Heavy rains which caused the disaster resulted in 34 deaths and affected more than 15,600 families whose homes and belongings were damaged or destroyed.
The British Red Cross and Department for International Development (DFID) are supporting the response and have given £244,000 to help communities in Bulambuli, Sironko, Kween, Amuria, Katakwi, Nakapiripirit and Kisoro districts.
The Uganda Red Cross Society (URCS) will distribute essential households items to 4, 000 households (28, 000 people) who were affected by landslides and floods in 2011 with support from the UK Department for International Development. (DFID) and the British Red Cross.
Following the continuing influx of refugees from the Democratic Republic of Congo, the Office of Prime Minister has re-opened the Nyakabande Reception Centre in Kisoro, South Western Uganda.
Working with UNHCR, Uganda Red Cross Society, the refugees that were initially at the URCS Kisoro Branch office have today (February 2) been re-located to the spacious reception centre by the government through Office of Prime Minister.
118 new Congolese refugees have crossed into the country and are camped at the Uganda Red Cross Society (URCS) Kisoro offices.
The URCS Kisoro office is acting as a transit camp for the refugees before they are transported to Oruchinga Refugee Settlement in Isingiro District by UNHCR.
Written by Catherine Ntabadde
Sunday, 22 January 2012 15:02
By William Male-Branch Manager URCS Jinja
Uganda Red Cross Society (URCS) together with Program for accessible Health Communication and Education (PACE) organized Safe Male Circumcision outreaches in Jinja. URCS is conducting this exercise through its URCS Jinja Branch.
They trek long distances searching for a new home. They move village to village until they find themselves at the boarder of Uganda and Congo.
Even after crossing the Uganda and Congo boarder at either Nteko or Bunagana, they have to walk a distance still not sure of where to go. Later on, a UNCHR truck comes to collect them from the reception centre.
These are refugees from the Democratic Republic of Congo who were driven to the transit camp at Uganda Red Cross Society (URCS) Kisoro Branch Offices
203 children below the age of 5 years are among the 917 Congolese refugees that have crossed to Uganda since July 2011. The refugees are received and registered by Uganda Red Cross Society (URCS) volunteers at the URCS Kisoro Branch.
Most of the volunteers came through Nteko boarder, according to Branch Manager Johnson Kyomukama. At Nteko, the refugees are received by URCS volunteers who carry out on spot assessment.
