HELP sector struggling with containing Covid

Every few weeks, I see my senior of many years in St. Mary’s College, Kisubi, Dr Eric Lugada rushing up the hill in our neighbourhood. I remember his candid advice in March 2020 at the onset of Covid-19 pandemic that it would last two or more years, and that at the time no politician was willing to admit this fact. Political calculations have had varying results.  Uganda held its General Election in January 2021. The United States registered record turnout in the November 2020 elections greatly hurting the Republican cause associated with lower voter turnout. Donald Trump saw his pre-election advantage on the brisk of a stronger economy, much stronger than the tepid one of his predecessor Barack Obama go up in flames. He also saw the entire state apparatus turn against him worried at his continued finger on the nuclear button. The United Kingdom delivered a 20+ majority for the Conservatives in December 2019 just before Covid picked on its Prime Minister sending him and a shocked nation into a series of lockdowns that only opened up in July 2021.

In September just days away, Covid-19 will enter its third year. The world is still standing though in shock and awe at how a seemingly nimble flu outbreak in Wuhan in Central China at the Institute of Virology quickly developed ocean to ocean wings, a global peacetime event of great proportions. Covid rose on a steady two decades of the decomposition of warfare from tanks, artillery, nuclear warheads to fragmented conflicts, terrorism cells, religious and other forms of fundamentalism.

Yes identity politics is a great political mobilisation factor whether in the Western world or in the middle of Africa or on the great Indian sub-continent. People retreat to parochial identities when faced with an existential threat that forces people to fear for redistribution of the national cake away from them. Ask the Baganda of Central Uganda up in arms over the legislative threat to do away with “mailo”, a coveted system of land tenure inherited from the British who distributed the spoils at the onset of their 68 year stay in Uganda.

Now that the parameters of Covid have been set. It’s time to tune into three ministries, Education, Health and Labour. Uganda’s education sector is in some form of unilateral disarmament from Covid after ill-advice allowed schools to reopen in February after the General Election on the misplaced notion that children were stronger against Covid. I remember my son’s school principal mentioning that kids don’t fall sick. A similar comment has recently been repeated by politician Dr Kizza Besigye. 

Uganda’s education sector, the largest employer in the service sector, is responsible for millions in school right from age three to post-graduate education has been clamped by government’s delay in procuring vaccines. Secondly by reluctance by the population to get shots. Third by relying on planeloads of about to expire vaccine donations.

Fourth is the usual mix of capitalism, greed and inefficiency. Private schools have been pressuring government to reopen yet an easier path would be administering the Shs600, 000 cost of a vaccine shot widely available in the private sector. But many people, including myself, remain highly skeptical of mass vaccination efforts to inoculate against a naturally occurring phenomena.

The upsurge of Covid in the United States has been blamed mostly on the unvaccinated but this is only a partial truth. Many folks already vaccinated are being recommended for booster shots. Soon the entire planet will be akin to the United States which can afford annual flu shots whose efficacy is very much in doubt to combat any form of flu. The health, education and social sector need to study this pandemic era more closely as Covid-19 is likely to be but a first step in an escalation of viruses. Decades of abuse of primates in confined spaces to conduct medical research some in African countries [Liberia, DRC, Congo-Brazaville], China as the medical community sought cures to human ailments are likely to erupt. Decades of research into biological warfare; use of biological agents to wage war – Agent Orange and others are another potential source of the genie escaping the bag again. That’s why watching civilian leaders like Joe Biden admonishing the population to embrace these shots is a moment of trepidation. Our HELP sector needs to bring out more of our local people to weigh in on Covid-19 and future pandemics coming our way. 

Mr Ssemogerere is an Attorney-At-Law and an Advocate

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