Uganda receives Shs2.4b in protective gear to shield health workers
Uganda Red Cross Secretary General Robert Kwesiga (left) and IFRC country delegate Henry Musembi (right) inspect donated protective gear at Entebbe International Airport on May 14, 2025. PHOTO/PAUL ADUDE
What you need to know:
- The donation comes as the country is currently responding to an outbreak of Mpox.
Uganda has received a consignment of high-grade protective gear to bolster the safety of frontline health workers as the country braces for potential future disease outbreaks.
The shipment, valued at Shs2.4 billion (approximately €584,000), includes advanced FFP2 and FFP3 protective masks and was delivered by the International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent (IFRC), the Airbus Foundation, and their partners.
It arrived at Entebbe International Airport on Wednesday.
“This consignment significantly strengthens the protection of medical personnel, which is crucial in epidemic and pandemic response,” said Robert Kwesiga, Secretary General of the Uganda Red Cross Society.
He added: “Health workers must be safe before they can attend to patients.”
Kwesiga said the equipment will be handed over to Uganda’s Ministry of Health, which will coordinate its distribution across healthcare facilities nationwide.
“This comes through the Red Cross, but we are going to pass it on to the Ministry of Health which will determine how to distribute it among health facilities and workers,” he explained to Monitor.
Uganda has faced several infectious disease outbreaks in recent years, including COVID-19 and the Sudan strain of the Ebola virus.
The donation comes as the country is currently responding to an outbreak of Mpox (also known as monkeypox).
Henry Musembi, IFRC’s country delegate for Uganda, said the effort to secure the equipment began during last year’s Ebola response.
“These are filtering face masks (category 2 and 3) used to prevent infections. We received 94 pallets. The items are essential for preparedness and pre-positioning because we never really know when the next epidemic will strike,” he noted.
He said the PPEs would be especially important for healthcare workers managing infection prevention and control in frontline medical facilities.
