Busoga king William Gabula Nadiope IV has urged the Ministry of Health to work more closely with cultural institutions, citing Busoga’s grassroots networks and rising teenage pregnancy rates as priorities for community health interventions.
The Kyabazinga of Busoga, William Gabula Nadiope IV, has called on the Ministry of Health to strengthen collaboration with cultural institutions to improve health promotion and disease prevention at the community level.
The monarch made the call on Thursday while attending the Ministry of Health’s fourth Health Promotion and Disease Prevention Conference at Speke Resort Munyonyo, where he represented Uganda’s kingdoms and cultural leaders as a special guest.
Held under the theme “Positioning Community Structures for Health Promotion and Disease Prevention,” the conference focused on strengthening grassroots networks to improve public health outcomes.
Gabula said kingdoms have established community structures, including chiefs and clan leaders, that could complement government efforts to deliver health information, promote preventive care and mobilise communities.
He cited more than 200,000 Empango Village community safeguarding committees in Busoga as a network that the ministry could leverage to expand health promotion and disease prevention initiatives.
“I have over 200,000 Empango Village community safeguarding committees that the Ministry can leverage to improve health promotion and disease prevention at the grassroots,” the Kyabazinga said.
The monarch, who serves as the United Nations National Goodwill Ambassador to End Teenage Pregnancy, also raised concern about teenage pregnancy in Busoga, calling for coordinated interventions to keep young people in school and expand their economic opportunities.
He told participants, including Vice President Jessica Alupo, that teenage pregnancy carries significant social and economic consequences, particularly for girls whose education is interrupted by early motherhood.
“Addressing teenage pregnancy in Uganda is both a social and economic challenge. Many girls who become mothers during their teenage years never complete primary school, limiting their opportunities and affecting their future livelihoods, which denies Uganda a productive workforce,” he said.
“We must therefore work together to keep girls and boys in school and give them opportunities to acquire skills and participate in the money economy.”
Gabula said teenage pregnancy in Busoga stands at 28%, compared with the national figure of 24%, with Mayuge, Kamuli and Namayingo among the districts facing higher rates.
He called for community-based interventions combining school retention, mentorship for boys and economic empowerment for young people.
“Ending teenage pregnancy requires collective action; keeping girls in school, mentoring boys and economically empowering the youth,” he said.
The Kyabazinga said he had mobilised kingdom chiefs, clan leaders and volunteers to support community initiatives and urged the Ministry of Health to establish closer working relationships with these structures.
“I have put to work all my chiefs, clan leaders and kingdom volunteers and I call upon the Ministry of Health to have closer collaboration,” he said.
The conference also highlighted the importance of strengthening community health systems to prevent illnesses, promote early detection and connect households to essential healthcare services.
A key priority was improving the capacity of Village Health Teams (VHTs) and Community Health Extension Workers through better training, equipment, technology, supervision and funding.
Discussions covered immunisation, maternal and child health, mental health, outbreak preparedness and efforts to counter health misinformation, reflecting the role of community-level interventions in improving access to healthcare.
Vice President Alupo reaffirmed the government’s commitment to prioritising health and commended the Kyabazinga for supporting health initiatives.
“Government is committed to prioritizing health and I commend the Kyabazinga for being exemplary and a champion of health initiatives,” Alupo said.
The conference underscored the potential of stronger partnerships between government health institutions and community structures in extending health information and preventive services to households across Uganda.