Minister for the Presidency Milly Babalanda has urged residents of Busoga to avoid self-medication and seek timely medical attention at recognised health facilities to improve treatment outcomes and save lives.
Babalanda said people should prioritise their health by seeking professional medical assessment, diagnosis and treatment instead of treating themselves without guidance from qualified health workers.
She made the call while addressing mourners at the send-off ceremony of her aunt, Nabirye Tophirista Abuze, in Kibundaire Village, Namagera Parish, Butagaya Sub-county, Jinja District.
“Early detection and timely medical intervention can significantly improve treatment outcomes and save lives,” Babalanda said in a statement.
She said leaders had a responsibility to promote the well-being of citizens and ensure they remained healthy enough to participate actively in national development.
Babalanda also urged Ugandans to sustain efforts to combat HIV/AIDS through awareness campaigns, prevention, regular testing and access to appropriate treatment and care.
She described HIV/AIDS as a serious public health concern that required collective responsibility and commended President Yoweri Museveni for his leadership in the country’s response to the epidemic.
The minister called on Ugandans to maintain vigilance against the disease as the country pursues efforts to end HIV/AIDS as a public health threat.
On poverty eradication, Babalanda encouraged residents of Busoga to take advantage of government wealth-creation programmes, including the Youth Livelihood Programme, Emyooga, the Parish Development Model (PDM) and the Four-Acre Model.
She said the initiatives were intended to increase household incomes, create employment opportunities and accelerate socio-economic transformation.
Babalanda also encouraged households to establish small-scale enterprises such as poultry keeping, vegetable growing and piggery to diversify income sources, improve food security and strengthen family livelihoods.
She cautioned families against excessive land fragmentation, warning that dividing land into increasingly smaller plots could undermine productive and sustainable agricultural activities.
Under the Four-Acre Model, farmers are encouraged to allocate land to long-term cash crops such as coffee or cocoa, fruits including oranges and mangoes, food crops such as maize, beans, cassava and sweet potatoes, and pasture to support zero-grazing and dairy farming.
Babalanda urged residents to embrace government wealth-creation initiatives with commitment and discipline, focusing on productive investments to improve household incomes and gradually overcome poverty.
She also conveyed condolences from President Museveni, First Lady Janet Museveni, the Permanent Secretary in the Office of the President, Hajji Yunus Kakande, and staff of the Office of the President to the bereaved family.
Babalanda thanked relatives, friends and other people who supported her family through prayers and words of comfort during the period of mourning.