The Independent Uganda: You get the Truth we Pay the Price
Gulu, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Leaders in Gulu have translated the COVID-19 guidelines into vernacular to boost their response plan against the virus.
The translation was done by an eight-member COVID-19 Gulu Task Force subcommittee on Risk, Communication and Community Engagement. The team included senior health workers and the material is expected to benefit District Task Forces of neighbouring Kitgum, Pader, Amuru, Nwoya, Lamwo, Agago and Omoro.
Gulu District Information Officer, Gloria Aloyo, a member of the committee said they translated two articles about general info on COVID-19 guidelines and the other for Village Health Teams (VHT) involvement and guidelines.
Joseph Oruni lauded the district for the initiative saying the translated material will benefit the grass root people who have low literacy and prefer to identify themselves with the local vernacular in order bring them up to the speed on how to protect themselves from the pandemic.
Richard Jomeo, a poet and rights activist who also performed the translation work revealed that most literature by the Ministry of Health and other entities are produced in English which requires them interpreted.
Jomeo said the work which they did voluntarily will be presented to the Ministry of Health for approval and design before it is printed and disseminated to people of Acholi who have a right to be informed in their language.
As the spread of global infectious COVID-19 continues to grip the World Health Organization – WHO encourages the translation of information as one of the best practices and behavioral suggestions to reduce the spread of the global pandemic.
About 2,000 local languages are spoken in Africa and people have a right to be informed in their language about what is going on and how they can protect themselves, their family, friends, and colleagues.
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