NMS to conduct Free Yellow Fever Vaccination in West Nile

National Medical Stores (NMS) is set to carry out a free Yellow Fever vaccination exercise in Arua City in West Nile Region, officials announced on Tuesday.  The two-day exercise starts on Tuesday, March 23 at Police Grounds in Arua City. The exercise shall benefit Ugandans living in and around Arua and West Nile at large. NMS’ Public Relations Officer (PRO) James Odong said this is part of NMS’ Corporate Social Responsibility. “This free yellow fever vaccination is a token of our commitment to consistently contribute towards positive social development and better quality of life of Ugandans,” he explained. “Due to COVID-19 Pandemic, strict Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) in the fight against the novel Covid-19 will be observed.” NMS has over the years carried out yellow fever vaccination activities in several parts of the country. Uganda is considered a high-risk country for Yellow fever by a comprehensive global strategy to Eliminate Yellow Fever Epidemics (EYE).  In 2020, the Ministry of Health launched the yellow fever vaccination campaign in West Nile after the disease claimed four lives. NMS General Manager, Moses Kamabare emphasized that immunization remains the main strategic approach to prevent, contain and eliminate Yellow fever outbreaks. “NMS has been an active partner with the people of Uganda for 27 years and it is an honor that we shall continue to defend and maintain. NMS is passionate about your lives,” said Kamabare. “NMS has provided, and will continue to provide, the necessary medicines and other medical supplies including Personal Protective Equipment to Government Health Facilities and other institutions that are at the frontline in the fight against Covid-19 as advised by Ministry of Health,” he emphasized. NMS’ mandate is to procure, store and distribute Essential Medicines and Medical Supplies (EMHS) to Public Health Facilities. The institution will later this year open its fully automated pharmaceutical warehouse in Kajjansi off Entebbe road. The spacious warehouse in Kajjansi will allow vehicles drive in to pick and drop medicines which is not the case at the stores in Entebbe. The cold rooms which store sensitive medical supplies such as vaccines and laboratory commodities will have their storage capacity increased five-fold at the new structure. NMS has been distributing COVID-19 vaccines across the country. Yellow fever vaccination in Uganda is normally taken by people traveling out of the country, owing to its cost (about 100,000 a shot). Yellow Fever, like malaria, is transmitted through mosquito bites. Its symptoms include high fever, fatigue, headache, vomiting blood in stool and yellowing eyes.

Nutritional Supplies Integrated into the National Supply System of Essential Medicines and Health Supplies Pilot Project for West Nile Region.

The Ministry of Health with support from partners in the Health sector have initiated a process of integrating nutritional health supplies into the national essential medicines and health supply system at the National Medical Stores(NMS) to foster efficiency in the procurement, storage and distribution of nutritional supplements in the health country.

The medicines that have been procured and distributed with support from partners include therapeutic food for the management of Acute Malnutrition, micronutrients to manage micronutrient deficiencies and de-wormers.

Although some of this supplies have been partially integrated and are being procured and distributed by NMS, treatment supplies for management of Severe Acute Malnutrition SAM) are completely being procured and distributed by partners with no budget line in NMS.

“The Health Ministry acknowledges that its very crucial that all essential commodities used in the treatment of SAM are in sufficient quantities in the health facilities. Integration of these supplies into NMS system where commodities will be delivered up to the health facilities is seen as a step towards improving access to nutritional supplies for clients in need”, said, Dr Diana Atwine, the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Health.

She added, “To that effect, the MOH embarked on the integration of SAM nutritional supplies into the NMS system and has reached a critical stage where supplies are ready to be handed over to NMS to begin a pilot in seven Districts in West Nile”.

The Districts include Adjumani, Arua, Koboko,Moyo, Madi-Okolo,Obongi and Yumbe. The Pilot project is being supported by the USAID and UNICEF.

"Today is a very special occasion and a key milestone in a longer journey, which started back in 2017 with an assessment of nutrition supply chain, and then followed by the development of nutrition supply chain integration road map”, said Dr Viorica Berdaga, Chief of Child Survival and Development at UNICEF Uganda, during the launch of the pilot phase of the Nutrition Supply Integration Pilot Study at National Medical Stores Entebbe recently.

For several years, UNICEF has been closely working with the Ministry of Health, National Medical Stores, and other nutrition partners to harmonize and integrate nutrition commodities into the governmental supply chain system.

“UNICEF remains committed to working closely with the Ministry of Health, National Medical Stores, sister UN agencies, development partners, civil society, private sector and all individuals to end preventable maternal and child mortality and to promote better health and nutrition for the children and general population of Uganda! ",Dr Berdaga said

H.E the Ambassador of the Indian High Commission in Uganda, on behalf of the Government of India has donated an assortment of medicines and health supplies for Covid-19 response to the Ministry of Health Uganda.

The donation was received by the State Minister of Health in charge of Primary Health Care (PHC) Hon. Dr. Joyce Moriku Kaducu on behalf of the Government of Uganda at the National Medical Stores headquarters in Entebbe.

This follows bilateral talks that took place between the President of the republic of Uganda, HE Yoweri Kaguta Museveni and the Prime Minister of the republic of India recently which called for working together to strengthen the fight against Covid-19 in the two countries.

NMS Management pledged to store the supplies in the highest safety conditions and deliver them to the intended users in quality time.

Dr Diana Atwine, the Permanent Secretary Ministry of Health with Mr. Paul Okware, Chief of Stores and Operations at NMS during the launch of mosquito nets distribution exercise.

The Ministry of Health launched the distribution exercise of free mosquito nets across the country. The exercise started in June 2020 and is expected to close at the end of the year.

So far, only 4.5 million mosquito nets out of the 27 million have been procured. The first batch will be distributed in 25 districts that were hit most by floods around Lake Kyoga and in districts with high prevalence rate of malaria.

Read more: Ministry of Health launches mosquito net distribution