Kabale District has intensified mobilisation ahead of the national measles-rubella immunisation campaign, targeting 47,794 children aged between nine months and five years.
The five-day nationwide campaign will run from October 1 to 5, 2026, and is aimed at strengthening immunity against measles and rubella among children in the targeted age group.
Speaking during a sensitisation meeting for district councillors at the District Rukiko Hall on Monday, the Kabale District Health Officer, Dr Gilbert Arineitwe Mateeka, said health workers and Village Health Team members will move to schools, communities and places of worship to reach eligible children.
Dr Mateeka said teams will visit schools on Thursday and Friday, October 1 and 2, before extending the exercise to communities over the weekend.
The teams will return to schools and selected communities on Monday, October 5, to immunise children who may have been missed during the earlier phases of the campaign.
He urged parents and caregivers to ensure that all eligible children receive the vaccine, saying the exercise is intended to reduce the risk of measles outbreaks in the district.
Although Kabale has not recorded any measles or rubella cases, Dr Mateeka said neighbouring districts have registered an increase in measles cases over the past three years, putting Kabale at risk because of the highly contagious nature of the disease.
He clarified that children who have already received measles and rubella vaccines through routine immunisation should still participate in the campaign, saying the additional dose will serve as a booster to strengthen their protection.
CUE IN MATEEKA…ON IMMUNISATION…ENG//
The Kabale District Chief Administrative Officer, Robert Mugabe, urged district councillors to take an active role in mobilising communities to embrace the exercise.
Mugabe said councillors are key change agents whose mobilisation efforts contribute to the success of district health campaigns.
He encouraged them to use platforms such as churches, burial ceremonies and community gatherings to sensitise the public about the importance of immunisation.
CUE IN MUGABE….ON MOBILISATION….ENG//
The Deputy Resident District Commissioner, Michael Muramira Kyakashari, also called on the public to support the campaign, describing measles as a highly contagious disease that can affect people beyond the targeted age group.
Kyakashari urged the District Health Department to divide the district into manageable zones to improve coordination and coverage and ensure the immunisation target is achieved.
CUE IN KYAKASHARI….ON SUPPORT….ENG//
