The Independent Uganda: You get the Truth we Pay the Price
Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) is working on new assistance in Uganda to revamp COVID-19 prevention and case management in health facilities.
Without mentioning specific amounts going into the training of health workers, the USAID Global Malaria Coordinator and COVID-19 task force leader Dr Kenneth Starley said that already, the agency has given USD 3.6 million COVID specific assistance to the country but about USD 1.3 million was tagged to activities meant to help refugees and their host communities.
Now he said they are moving into ensuring that health workers are well acquainted with the treatment protocols which keep quickly changing with new discoveries as research into the new disease continues. Dr Starley was speaking during a digital press briefing about USAID’s ongoing development priorities and COVID-19 assistance responses in Africa last evening.
Uganda recently changed their treatment protocols withdrawing chloroquine from their list and replacing it with another anti-malarial drug hydroxychloroquine which has of recent been a subject of discussion regarding its efficacy in the treatment of COVID-19 patients.
He also revealed that they are also discussing continuity of care with almost all government efforts being directed into the pandemic which has so far had various people test positive in Uganda.
Asked about the sustainability for healthcare funding in Uganda considering that donating countries like the US have also been hit by the pandemic, Christopher Runyan, the Coordinator for the USAID Africa bureau said they don’t know exactly what the future will bring with regards to resource levels.
“As I imagine you know there are no guarantees for years and years of future funding but of course there is consistent support for Africa in our Congress which plays the central role in creating legislation which funds USAID and its programs in Africa”, he said.
******
URN
