The Minister of Health, Dr Ruth Aceng has said there is not of stopping disaster from causing a lot of suffering seemed better option compared to the unnecessary loss of life that continued to hinder development and destroy gains from investments made over the time.
“The time is now to invest in preparedness early actions, equip the communities to monitor warning signs and be resilient in case of disaster,” Dr Aceng said while speaking during the commemoration of the World Red Cross and Red Crescent Day, under the theme.
Wednesday 31, the Uganda Red Cross Society together with her developmental partners launched the World Disaster Report 2022.
Dr Aceng the Minister of Health who represented the Prime Minister at the launch of the disaster report which she indicated that it contained a lot of useful information on how they could enhance on their preparedness to prevent and recover from disasters.
The report seeks to address how the world could effectively prepare for future Public Health Emergencies given the fact that Coronavirus pandemic and preparedness, both ways preparedness ahead of COVID 19 were very inadequate.
For the International Federation Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, therefore defines preparedness as being able to prevent, respond to, and recover from an emergency but most importantly draw lessons for the next time.
Adding that the government was now committed to continuing working with the Uganda Red Cross Society interventions joined at enhancing preparedness in response to disaster urging even the development partners to support the society to continues delivering quick saving remedies.
The report strongly highlights the need to have all stakeholders working together to ensure; Trust, Equity and Local action which remain the main principles towards achieving preparedness early actions
However, for the preparedness early action and response mechanism to work, Robert Kwesiga, the Sectary General URCS noted that the strategy needed to be looked at into two different key levels including the national and local or community level
At the national , Kwesiga noted that this mainly tackled the policy frame work, the legislative frame work, coordination mechanisms and how the funding framework works in addition to the local community who have actors like Red-Cross and local government.
The local government thus designs a disaster profile specifically for there geographical area and localizes it into context which is then linked to the community level
“That’s why we have been working with the local government to develop district disaster profiles plans, we know it starts and ends at the community level. So before it starts, what do you need to do,” the SG noted.
Adding that while technology has availed the masses with a lot of information about even the weather patterns, apparently a lot of its tools were still misunderstood by the local people and that there was still need to make them understand this information but also marry it with what they know and works
Kwesiga therefore noted that community action needed to be made intentional, create resources and space but also create awareness through policy and legislation so as everyone fits for purpose
“ Normally the challenge is most of the resources come in to respond but less resources prepare and that’s were the context differs, so you can easily mobilize money for response but the money for preparedness is always coming in slow,” he emphasized.
Adding that they will always miss out the point and continuously repeat their actions, if the community actors were not on top of the game
So far a budget of Shs.10 Billion has been raised from a total of Shs.40 Billion required to do the work on the side of the RCS.
Are people informed, do they understand on what to do on their own but also made aware on what action they should take incase it doesn’t work out and how institutions like the redress are there to make sure that worst case scenario you minimize damage to property but also death. So that is the context and you see all that, when they talk of early action and community engagement is this must be combined.
