President Museveni lauded at the US-Africa Leaders summit for the successful fight against Ebola and Covid-19

President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni has been commended over his successful fight against the COVID-19 pandemic and the Ebola outbreak in Uganda at the on-going US-Africa Leaders’ Summit. 

President Museveni was lauded by his Botswana counterpart, H.E Mokgweetsi Masisi during the Partnering for Sustainable Health session held under the theme “Building Resilience for Healthy People, Healthy Countries” at the Washington Convention Center on Tuesday. 

When much of the world was waking up to the enormous implications of a global pandemic, Uganda was already a step ahead thanks to Ebola. 

While COVID-19 has its unique challenges, such as quick spread, dealing with it requires the type of response Uganda has been practising over the years with the Ebola threat, 

Uganda has had the ‘unique’ opportunity to deal with several disease outbreaks, enabling the country to identify specific factors that contribute to the successful management of public health emergencies.

In his address, President Museveni underscored the role of Ugandan scientists during the outbreak of the COVID-19 saying that they incorporated traditional and modern medicine to save Ugandans and neighboring countries.

“During the pandemic, Prof Patrick Ogwang cross matched an ancient antiviral plant product that the people in the North Eastern part of Uganda have been using since time immemorial against measles which is caused by the virus Rubella, with the treatment for COVID-19 which saved many lives,” said the President who walked from his hotel room to the event venue.

Museveni said Uganda has been able to contain the spread of COVID-19 which ravaged the rest of the world adding that the country is working to develop all types of vaccines needed for humans and livestock. He cited an anti-tick vaccine that has been developed by Ugandans.

President Museveni also called for more collaboration between Uganda and the U.S especially in pharmaceuticals and vaccines if Uganda is to gain a fair share of pharmaceutical production in the world. He said Uganda and Africa are better placed to produce many of the pharmaceuticals on account of the plants that they have on the continent.