A significant boost to community healthcare, 100 Community Health Extension Workers (CHEWs) were officially passed out today in Namayingo District. The cadres, equipped with bicycles, bags, t-shirts, tablets, and other high-value health Aid kits worth millions of shillings, were supported by the Makerere Joint AIDS Program (MJAP) and FHI360/EPIC to ensure the sustainability of their grassroots medical interventions.
The newly commissioned health workers are attached to various parishes where they will spearhead Immunizations and Antenatal campaigns and multiple community health engagements. Their deployment follows a rigorous six-month training program, which consisted of three months of intensive classroom learning, two months of practical field experience, and a final month of classroom refinement. Dr. Womanni Samson, the lead trainer, confirmed that the cohort includes two specialized trainers from each parish to ensure a wide reach across the district.
During the ceremony, the District Health Officer (DHO), Mr. Mangenei Mathias, lauded the CHEWs for their dedication throughout the training period. He issued a strong call to Parish Chiefs to prioritize these workers when distributing Parish Development Model (PDM) resources, noting that their role is critical to the district’s social-economic transformation. Furthermore, he urged the District Health Team to integrate the CHEWs into all future monitoring and capacity-building exercises.
Addressing the gathering, the Deputy Chief Administrative Officer (CAO) and Acting CAO, Madam Sonny Mulemba, alongside the LCV representative, Hon. James Ouma, highlighted the dire staffing gaps in the districtโs health sector. Currently, Namayingo’s health staffing stands at only 38%, with leaders praying for an urgent increase to at least 60%. Madam Mulemba challenged the CHEWs to translate their training into measurable health outcomes and pledged that the Local Government would work to ensure they are formally included in district work plans and facilitated accordingly.
The Deputy Resident District Commissioner (RDC), Madam Sarah Kasadha, extended her gratitude to MJAP and partners for equipping the cadres with essential skills. She vowed to ensure that the trained CHEWs benefit from various government programs, including PDM, Emyooga, and the Youth Livelihood Program (YLP), as a reward for their community service.
Representing the High commissioner, The assistant Commissioner Dr. Ronald revealed a national roadmap to roll out the CHEW program to every district in Uganda. He challenged the graduates to serve with love and passion, stressing that the community holds high expectations for them to improve immunization access and ensure all expectant mothers deliver in health facilities.
he Chief Guest, Professor Dr. Olaro Charles, thanked the development partners for their unwavering support. He urged the CHEWs to be role models by practicing impeccable personal hygiene and maintaining high levels of professionalism. However, he issued a stern warning against professional misconduct, specifically cautioning the health workers against extorting money from the communities they are meant to serve.
