Kaburu Anthony: My take on Uganda’s persistent health problems

Kaburu Anthony: My take on Uganda’s persistent health problems:  Currently Uganda has close to 3000 covid19 cases, and 30 deaths, with more cases expected to rise as days pass on. Unfortunately Uganda doe...

My take on Uganda’s persistent health problems

 Currently Uganda has close to 3000 covid19 cases, and 30 deaths, with more cases expected to rise as days pass on. Unfortunately Uganda does not have the financial and health resources to effectively fight or contain this pandemic, and without adequate resources the lives and livelihoods of millions of Ugandans are left hanging in the balance.

As governments world over were busy soliciting for funds towards their health institutions including free mass #COVID19  testing for all their citizens in the first wake of the pandemic, our government leaders  were not fairly treating the existing health crisis with the urgency it deserved

The government in the beginning of Covid19 preparedness was instead lobbying and using much of its finances to purchase high value vehicles which in real sense have not made any impact on the fight against #COVID19 pandemic. For decades in leadership, it’s not true that our country doesn’t have basic necessity ”vehicles” to run state agencies in all districts or the currently formed cities.

From where I seat, I see hundreds of state officials with heavy duty cars Idling at their offices or homes, some are used as escort cars and some are being used to ferry food stuffs and people more especially during this election period, one wonders why all this resources can’t be put into proper use.

Maybe in simple words, I should talk about Honesty and Leadership next time but I totally blame those who are close to our president, some of this people don’t want to see our country move forward, our president” Yoweri Kaguta Museveni” is a Father Figure and he loves the country dearly.

Anyway, I am not a politician and I don’t subscribe to any political party, I am only passionate about my country but one thing remains clear; solving Uganda’s health problems takes more than statements of good intention like empty promises of free masks, food and financial relief which is often promised on media coverage’s.

Infact, many diseases including #COVID19 can be addressed with minimal resources if they are used strategically. But it’s unfortunate that it takes something like COVID-19 to convince us, hopefully once and for all, that as human beings, we can never be independent of each other, and our health, well-being and prosperity is very much in each other’s hands.

The curse of this coronavirus becomes a blessing for those who would use this opportunity to be courageous. COVID-19 once again shows the importance of our collective thinking and acting, of the importance of paying taxes and a fair tax system, of good governments, of public funding and of science and research.

To my limited and basic understanding of health, there are obviously distinct steps we can use to solve Uganda’s persistent health problems:

·         A third of Uganda’s population comprises persons aged 10-24 years. These youth are growing up in a context marked by pervasive poverty, limited educational opportunities, high HIV/AIDS prevalence, widespread conflict, and weak social controls.

For Uganda to take advantage of the dividends of a growing youthful population, the county must raise its capacity to generate rigorous scientific evidence to inform policies and programs designed to improve the health and wellbeing of her young people.

This means that the government should not only encourage and fund research on young people’s health and development but also actively use evidence generated to inform policies and programs geared towards the youth.

·         To address the rising burden of diseases, improve health systems, and attain better health, the country needs strong public health research capacity. Uganda has a strong population and public health research capacity with unlimited capacity to identify and prioritize its health needs and, hence, is able to develop and implement effective interventions to promote well-being.

·         Ensure healthy lives and promote the well-being for all at all ages is essential to sustainable development. Significant strides have been made in increasing life expectancy and reducing some of the common killers associated with child and maternal mortality.

·         Major progress has been made on increasing access to clean water and sanitation, reducing malaria, tuberculosis, polio and the spread of HIV/AIDS. However, many more efforts are needed to fully eradicate a wide range of diseases and address many different persistent and emerging health issues.

·         The private sector can play a significant role in spearheading innovations across Uganda. In addition to providing capital investment, businesses can share strategic logistics and marketing know-how, source from local distributors and assess the scalability of projects –all key measures in ensuring lasting social and economic value. The private sector can also drive other stakeholders to advocate for sound policies, tailored solutions, improved infrastructure and relevant research.

·         Instilling a culture of innovation is a promising way to propel Ugandans to eradicate diseases and improve health. All health organizations should pioneer solutions customized to the unique context and culture of communities across Uganda.

 

·         More support is needed, particularly from the government to encourage future entrepreneurs to seek to invent new solutions with the potential to create a lasting impact on the health of hard to reach communities. The government can also start by excusing some of our incompetent state officials from duty who are merely opportunists; we needed to do this like yesterday if we are serious about our current health crisis and also unknown future calamities.

Furthermore, health problems in Uganda cannot be considered in isolation, foreign technical and financial assistance is required. To be effective, aid can find ways to help people directly and bypass the government “IF” they are CORRUPT and INCAPABLE.

The emphasis should then be on channeling aid through non-governmental and UN organizations such as #WHO, #UNICEF and #UNFPA with a proven record of effectiveness, and long-standing experience in countries world over.

COVID-19 gives us an opportunity to break away from business as usual, As the crisis worsens, we’re going to see historically marginalized and vulnerable communities, the sudden collapse of our economy will exacerbate the historic lack of protections for housing, healthcare, and basic needs that unequally impact poor people, as we look to provide support in this crisis, and as we look to build back in the future, we must center investments and strategies that address these inequities head on.

However, this will happen only if the voices of the poor, scientists and healthcare professionals are heard. Already hunger and anger is building in major Uganda cities with little or no social safety net to protect the poor from the economic fallout of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Millions of poor Ugandans are also bearing the brunt of a nationwide lockdowns part of efforts to contain the novel coronavirus outbreak yet the choice before them is often to stay home and fail to provide the evening meal for their family, or to brave it out into the city and try and fend for their family. Though some lockdown policies have so far been eased, the combination of widespread poverty and food price spikes due to the epidemic could prove deadly if our government doesn’t act quickly.

I know that improving health systems isn’t easy but strong political leadership, careful monitoring and strong institutions are needed to see successful implementation of health reforms, It is important at this juncture for the government to commit to pull their resources together and partner to ensure that the most basic needs of people, especially the vulnerable, are cared for.

The realization that anyone can be infected with the virus that causes #COVID19 is a reminder of the shared vulnerability of humans. This day of time is a call to all of us to realize that we all depend on each other on this small planet and, whether it is global heating, inequality, or environmental degradation, we shall either swim or sink together.

Once the crisis is over, we will hopefully awaken into a new world, one where we can learn the far-reaching, long-term lessons.  One where we can see the dangers that we should have recognized a long time ago. One where we can understand the implications of these dangers for the future of government policies.

Finally, the COVID-19 pandemic is a turning point that should restore our faith in humanity.  As the possibility of treatments and vaccines develop, plans need to be in place to continuously deliver assistance to the vulnerable communities in Uganda first, not last.

Lastly, if the government wants to bring #HOPE to a country ravaged by poverty and disease; Effective Health Action is urgently required. It can be done. I pray that God continues to Bless and Protect My Country Uganda including our able Leader, His Excellency Yoweri Kaguta Museveni

Kaburu Anthony: The Time for Climate Action is Now

Kaburu Anthony: The Time for Climate Action is Now:  Climate change is already harming the mental and physical health of all of us no matter where we are – with wildfires, smoke-laden air, flo...

The Time for Climate Action is Now

 Climate change is already harming the mental and physical health of all of us no matter where we are – with wildfires, smoke-laden air, floods, emergency evacuations, power shortages, food insecurity, insect-borne diseases, hurricanes and heatwaves – that are becoming more frequent and more intense as the temperature rises.

The scientific evidence is already clear and irrefutable — human activity is causing our planet to warm at an alarming rate. International bodies of scientists have warned that we have just over a decade to halve our emissions to avoid the most devastating impacts of climate change on our food supply, national security, global health, extreme weather, and more.

There is simply no time to waste, We need urgent and ambitious action at every level, from heads of state submitting increased national commitments to the Paris Agreement on climate change to private sector leaders addressing climate change at every step of the supply chain, finance heads committing to divest from fossil fuels and green their investments and individual citizens using their unique influence to drive change and make an impact.

Everyone has the ability to do something to address our climate challenge, but we can all still do more. What will you do?

What you can do about climate change:

Get informed. Knowledge is power – learn more about the science behind our climate challenge and the responsibility that all sectors hold in addressing the issue. Add your voice to the issues that are shaping the climate debate as well as emerging, evidence-based data that directly relates to changes in our climate.

Hold yourself accountable. Take a personal inventory of your own personal impact on the planet – remember, if you can’t measure it, you can’t manage it. Consider offsetting carbon emissions by investing in clean and renewable energy projects around the world that support local communities, drive sustainable development, and protect our planet.

Unplug. Can you use energy more efficiently at home? Unplug items when they aren’t in use, by goods with high energy-efficient standards, and consider making the switch to renewable energy. All of these can help to help reduce your personal impact. 

Travel smarter. Transportation is now the largest source of carbon emissions globally. No matter where you live, travel by car or airplane contributes heavily to our shared carbon footprint. Take public transit, biking, or walking when possible – it’s good for your health, your wallet, and the planet

Climate action, one bite at a time. Your food’s carbon footprint, called its foodprint, is the greenhouse gas emissions produced by growing, harvesting, processing, transporting, cooking, and disposing of the food we eat. Research has revealed the tremendous impact that the mass production of meat, dairy, and eggs has on our planet.

Additionally, food waste is an enormous ‘hidden’ contributor to climate change. In fact, if global food waste were a country, it would be the third largest greenhouse gas emitter, behind China and the U.S. The carbon footprint of this wasted food is about 3.3 billion tons of CO2. Luckily, there has never been a better time to join efforts to reduce our carbon footprint through food choices. Enjoy more plant-based meals, reduce your food waste altogether, and compost your food scraps.

Shop smarter. Do you know where your dollar is going? Support companies driven by sustainability and committed to transparency throughout the supply chain. Your power as a consumer can be enormously impactful, so if you’re in the dark or unhappy with a company’s impact on the planet, make your voice known! Shop smarter with thoughtful purchasing to minimize waste, and consider reused and pre-loved items to take part in the circular economy and keep goods out from filling our already overflowing landfills.

Vote Earth. Consider climate issues on local, national and global levels – examine the climate and environmental platforms of your candidates, engage these candidates to understand their ambition, and, ultimately, vote at the ballot box for the candidates with clear, ambitious, and convincing plans to protect our planet.

Organize. One person can make a difference, but together, we can make a movement. Consider the communities that you are a part of, whether its your neighborhood, your school or PTO, your company or organization, your faith institution or yoga group or football team. Collective action can have a major impact – and major influence – for change. Consider how you can gather support by mobilizing a larger group for action!

Invest and divest. If you are lucky enough to have investments or a pension, pledge to separate them from exposure to fossil fuel assets and increase your stake in clean energy companies. Join a movement of millions of individuals from dozens of countries representing trillions in assets who are avoiding the investment risks of climate change and lightening their carbon footprints.

 And it doesn’t stop at your individual portfolio – ask your university, your company, and your organization how they invest their money. Because when it comes to climate change, money talks.

Show your support. Show your support for programs and organizations including community and citywide actions that are fighting climate change, and organizations working on the ground to make a difference.

Finally, because Climate change adds injustice to injustice, adds poverty to poverty, adds insecurity to insecurity, the whole of humanity is affected, especially the most vulnerable populations particularly those who are already most fragile and vulnerable. We always talk about #ClimateEmergency and #ClimateCrisis, but if we cannot confront these issues, we will not survive.

It's not too late to slow the pace of #ClimateChange as long as we act today. We can attack this challenge by reducing our use of fossil fuels such as coal, oil, gasoline, diesel and natural gas, we can improve air quality, save lives, reduce chronic diseases, and cut healthcare costs while fighting climate change.

Everyone has the ability to do something to address our climate challenge, but we can all still do more. There is no place better than home and there no other planet that is better than the Earth. Time for #ClimateAction is NOW #SDG13 #Sustainability #UrgentActions #Adaptation #SDGs

Kaburu Anthony: The impact of COVID-19 on vulnerable children

Kaburu Anthony: The impact of COVID-19 on vulnerable children: As schools have closed their doors to most pupils to tackle the spread of the coronavirus outbreak, teachers and charities have expressed th...

The impact of COVID-19 on vulnerable children

As schools have closed their doors to most pupils to tackle the spread of the coronavirus outbreak, teachers and charities have expressed their fears about the plight of vulnerable children from poverty-stricken and chaotic homes.

Several months into the COVID-19 pandemic, I am thankful that the SARS-CoV-2 virus does not have as severe of an effect on children compared to older adults, and we know that most children who contract the virus will survive.

However, even if children are largely spared from direct effects, COVID-19 will still cause profound and long-lasting indirect impacts on children globally, particularly in low- and middle-income countries where the pandemic is straining already overburdened health systems and social protection infrastructure.

Concerns are mounting that most vulnerable children across the globe are already feeling the impacts of COVID-19 through measures taken to contain the spread of the virus, as economies contract, schools close, and access to essential health services becomes more difficult.

This virus has a way of magnifying existing inequities, and sadly the most vulnerable children and communities are likely to experience profound negative impacts. Worries are also rising about how families struggling financially will cope with providing food for their children without the provision of free school meals – particularly if schools are closed for a prolonged period.

The differential impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on society needs to be acknowledged. While some of us are practicing social distancing and exploring work from home options aggressively in the hope of a better tomorrow, there is a possibility that a substantial number of children would emerge as victims of such apparently positive measures.

One impact would be an increase in the number of child workers. Along with the health crisis, and the economic and labour market shock that the pandemic has generated, the vulnerability of millions to child labour is another issue that merits serious attention.

The combined economic forces and school closures are also contributing to worsening food insecurity and malnutrition, with some of our centers already reporting increased numbers of malnourished children.

Hundreds of millions of children globally already live in extremely vulnerable conditions – crowded urban slums, refugee camps, conflict zones, and their challenges are compounded by the COVID-19 crisis.

The United Nations estimates that an additional 42-66 million children could tip into extreme poverty this year, adding to the already 386 million children living in extreme poverty worldwide. COVID-19 could also leave in its wake a new generation of orphans and vulnerable children, mirroring losses and challenges from the global HIV crisis, treatable illnesses such as diarrhea and malaria

Although tremendous strides have been made over the last decades in improving child survival, and the economic downturn combined with interruption in or difficulty accessing essential health services could cause major backtracking on child survival progress.

We therefore have much to learn from resource-limited settings, including important lessons on resilience, resourcefulness, innovation, and community-organizing, and drawing from rich bodies of experience in epidemic control in response to HIV, Ebola, and other infectious diseases.

We must put children’s safety and needs at the forefront of discussions to mitigate the current and future effects of the pandemic. The immense potential costs of increased child maltreatment should be considered in cost-benefit calculations of lockdown measures.

The social and economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic are also being felt in communities across Africa. We know from the evidence and our experience that violence against women and children surges during emergencies. At the same time, the services and systems set up to respond to gender-based violence break down or become harder to access.

COVID-19 is altering family dynamics in ways that threaten to put already vulnerable children at increased risk of abuse and neglect, this could be catastrophic to children’s health and well-being globally, but it doesn’t have to be. Children around the globe are counting on all of us to advocate for them during the ongoing COVID-19 crisis.

As a global community, we all have the opportunity to be an important voice for vulnerable children worldwide. I also urge governments to work with social and health care providers to integrate children’s welfare in future risk reduction and preparedness #StopCOVID19 #Children #ChildrenSafety #HumanityandInclusion #HumanRights #SharedProsperity #Sustainability #Governance #FutureGenerations #SDG1 #SDGs #Health

Kaburu Anthony: Climate change threats are continuously widening e...

Kaburu Anthony: Climate change threats are continuously widening e...: The global warming that’s changing our climate is already having dire consequences. Whether it’s a shift of 1.5 degrees or 2 degrees, these ...

Climate change threats are continuously widening every minute

The global warming that’s changing our climate is already having dire consequences. Whether it’s a shift of 1.5 degrees or 2 degrees, these warming levels aren’t magic thresholds. Though the current #COVID19 pandemic has come in the backdrop of another evident global crisis, a much slower one with even higher risks – climate change.

 Every rise in warming is worse for the planet than the last.

In just the past few decades:

·         Rising temperatures have worsened extreme weather events.

·         Chunks of ice in the Antarctic have broken apart.

·         Wildfire seasons are months longer.

·         Coral reefs have been bleached of their colors.

·         Mosquitoes are expanding their territory, able to spread disease.

Climate change is real

Say “climate change” and see how most people react. I find it’s a bit like “sustainable development”: a phrase at which many people quietly glaze over and switch off. So here’s the first point: Don’t switch off. Climate change isn’t just words. It is a real Thing. And man-made climate change is a very scary, real and its widening every minute.

The rise in global temperature over the last several decades is a matter of public record. There is an overwhelming scientific consensus that it can only be explained by one thing: the rise in greenhouse gas emissions caused by human activities.

Some people say that climate change is natural and we shouldn’t worry. The answer to that is that we have indeed had naturally-occurring climate change since the Earth was formed. But none of the natural causes of climate variation, from the Sun’s output, the tilt of the Earth, volcanic activity or emissions from rotting vegetation, can account for the warming we observe today.

There is only one thing that can: the emissions from fossil fuels caused by human activities over the last two hundred years. The concentrations of carbon dioxide in our atmosphere have increased by nearly 30% since the beginning of the industrial revolution.

It’s not as bad as you think – it’s worse

Here’s another inconvenient truth. Not only is global warming happening, it may be speeding up. The 20 warmest years on record have all come since 1995. The five warmest years have all been in this decade, the 2010s. 2019 was the hottest year since records began.

The environment suffered badly: numerous species, habitats, birds, trees and aquatic life were affected by the hot conditions and high demand for water. This kind of thing won’t happen every year. But it will happen more frequently, and it will happen worse. Most of us enjoyed this summer’s exceptional weather. But by 2040 it is likely there won’t be anything exceptional about summers like the one we have just had. The records will keep tumbling. Exceptional may be the new normal.

And just as the rate of temperature rise looks to be accelerating, so too does one of its main consequences: the rise in sea level. Over the last 20 years sea levels have risen at roughly twice the speed of the preceding 80 years.

It gets worse. While the international community has pledged to avoid a rise of more than 2°C in the average global temperature by 2100 compared with pre-industrial levels, many scientists think that the figure will be higher. The central scientific estimate now is that by 2100 global temperature will have risen by nearly twice the 2 degree figure - by around 3.5 °C.

Climate change has bad consequences

A big point that bears constant repetition: if we don’t tackle climate change, very bad things will happen.

“Global warming” is another of those deceptive phrases. It doesn’t sound that threatening. But who wouldn’t want a bit more sun and the weather a few degrees warmer? But the phrase is misleading because it doesn’t identify what will actually happen as the globe warms. The answer is that:

·         The tropics will be hotter and drier.

·         Sea levels will rise significantly, perhaps by up to a metre in places by 2100, as waters warm and take up more space and our glaciers and land-based ice sheets melt. Sea level rise is particularly scary, because while other climate change-driven effects like extreme flooding or drought can do terrible harm, recovery from them is possible. But there is no recovery from a rising sea: it takes land, communities, infrastructure and everything else away forever.

·         More frequent and more extreme flooding and coastal erosion, caused by those wetter winters, heavier rain, stronger storms and rising sea levels. That threatens all of us, because floods destroy: lives, livelihoods, communities.

All of these changes in climate will have consequences. They will mean:

·         More water shortages and higher drought risk, caused by the hotter drier summers and less predictable rainfall. That could do deep damage to our economy and our environment.

·         More frequent and more extreme fires and wildfires often with terrible human cost.

·         More air and water pollution, due to those longer, hotter summers. That will threaten the living world of plants and animals, our wider environment and our own health.

·         More damage to wildlife and the habitat on which it depends. In many cases that damage may be existential. If we continue to emit greenhouse gases at the same rate as today, then by 2050 one million species across the globe are likely to vanish.

So don’t get comfortable. If we allow climate change to continue unchecked, the earth’s green and pleasant land will be neither green nor pleasant. And if sea levels rise significantly, there won’t be much of our land left either.

As sea levels rise and the storms get fiercer, how much higher can we build the walls around our coasts? There’s a limit to what’s practical and affordable. And even if we build ever higher and stronger defences along the coastline, there’s another problem: our rivers.

Climate change means more rain is likely to fall more quickly into our rivers. So they will fill up quicker, and will flood the surrounding land unless they can rapidly discharge all that rainwater into the sea. But the higher tides and sea levels which climate change will also bring mean that precisely when we need our rivers to be better at discharging water to the sea, they will be less and less able to do so, because they will be increasingly tide-locked.

So we could have three nightmare future scenarios: one where high seas overwhelm our sea defences, a second where the rivers flood the land behind the defences, and a third – the worst of all – where both of these things happen together.

The result, if we fail to address these future risks, will be that many low lying parts of the country will be either permanently waterlogged, or flooded with such frequency as to be no longer habitable.

Am I exaggerating? No. It is the biggest threat out there to our economy, environment, health, way of life, our country, our world, and our future. That is why climate change is simply the biggest issue currently

But disaster is not inevitable: we can tackle this problem

That’s enough bad news. The good news is that it doesn’t have to be like this. We can tackle this problem, if we act now. Because while some of the effects of climate change - temperatures increasing, sea levels rising, wetter winters, more violent weather – will continue for the next 30-40 years no matter what we do now, we can affect what happens after that.

We know what we need to do. It’s summed up by another two words that tend to make people switch off but which also really matter: mitigation and adaptation. Mitigation means addressing the causes of climate change, by reducing or stopping the human activities which are affecting the climate system, for example by cutting our emissions of greenhouse gases.

Most of the global emissions come from the way we produce and consume energy – from heating our buildings, driving our cars, manufacturing goods, watching our TVs or boiling our kettles. We can lower our emissions by becoming more energy efficient and switching to renewable or low-carbon fuels.

As countries have made a good start, global emissions are down 43% compared to 1990, while over the same period the economy has grown significantly. That’s really important: it shows that we can both tackle climate change and grow our economy.

But most of these emission reductions have come from closing coal power stations and cleaning up heavy industry. That was the easy bit. It’s a lot harder to reduce emissions from transport, agriculture and buildings. That will require much greater use of renewable energy, and infrastructure to capture and store remaining carbon emissions. The quicker we can move ahead on all that the better.

Adaptation means making changes to prepare for, reduce and negate the effects of climate change, for example by building stronger sea defences to reduce the vulnerability of coastal communities. Other things we can and should be doing now include reducing water usage by cutting leakage and extending domestic metering; avoiding any unnecessary development in flood plains or on fast-eroding coastlines; and designing infrastructure that will be resilient to the more extreme weather we know is coming. There’s more good news. There is now a pretty broad consensus – at least in most countries - on the need to do these things. The government gets it.

While it will cost a lot of money to respond successfully to climate change, we can afford it. Indeed, it’s the best investment we could possibly make. It would be much more expensive not to respond. And the economic benefits of mitigating and adapting to climate change – in terms of damage foregone, extra growth achieved through new investment and infrastructure, prosperity boosted through innovative technology - far outweigh the costs.

Conclusion

The scandal is not that climate change is made up. The scandal is that it’s not, and that while a lot is already being done to tackle it, we are still not doing all we could. Why is tackling changing climate not at the top of everyone’s agenda? Partly, no doubt, because most people have busy lives and other things to worry about. Partly because the effects of a changing climate tend to be invisible and incremental until they are suddenly catastrophic. And maybe too because of the words we use. Language matters.

So here’s a final thought: if words like “climate change” and “global warming” have become a turn-off for most ordinary people, maybe we should change the words. Perhaps we should talk instead about what those things actually mean: killer weather, a world under water, and a mortgaged future.

Many people might not get out of bed to fight something that sounds vaguely technical and non-threatening called climate change. But pretty much all of us would do so to protect our loved ones, our homes and our livelihoods, and to build a better world.

Finally: climate change threats are widening every minute. So let’s tell it like it is, let’s tackle it together, and let’s redouble our efforts. Over the last two hundred years humans have comprehensively demonstrated that they can change the climate – and we have changed it for the worse by doing the wrong things.

Global citizens must call on their governments for urgent action on Climate Change while we still have the chance to turn things around for our planet. I think many of us have been shaken to the core by the scientific predictions of the irreversible changes to our whole world and society as we know it, if urgent action isn’t taken.

What happens next is up to us all. I truly believe that together we can bring about the transformative change that is needed. Sometimes it is better to protect ourselves by thinking of ways to make humanity more resilient to disasters that are to come.

Now let’s show we can change it for the better by doing the right things. It's not too late to slow the pace of climate change as long as we act today. Together, we can all attack this challenge and ensure that 2020 - and beyond - are safe years for humanity.