NATIONAL CLEANING DAY: ARUA CITY RESIDENTS RAISE CONCERN OVER DISEASE RISK DUE TO LACK OF PPEs

Market venders of Yitia market-Ediofe carrying out cleaning without protective gears during the second national cleaning day on Saturday August 29, in Arua city’s Ayivu division. (PHOTO BY EREMA)

By Erema George

Arua City

Stakeholders are raising concern over the protection of the health of the local citizens during the national cleaning exercise calling for a deliberate move by the government to improve the conditions through provision of protective gears for the smooth progress of the exercise.

During the second national cleaning exercise, members of the community had a positive response towards the exercise. However, some key challenges such as lack of essential personal protective equipment (PPE) like gloves, face masks among others affected participation in some areas.

Godfrey Dricile, the executive director of Community Empowerment for Transformation Action (CEFTRA-WN) West Nile who joined the community of Ediofe in Ayivu division appeals to the government to improve the conditions for the cleaning exercise in order to protect the health of the people;

“I have seen many people come up to clean without the protective gears, this also expose many of them to health dangers. I think there should be a deliberate budget to manage some of these things, maybe to support the communities. Otherwise it’s a very good initiative and the environment is so clean that you feel like this is our place. We urge everyone to come up and support this initiative. Let us own this and let us not politicize it.” Dricile noted.

Equally Vincent Andima , the vice chairperson of the market committee of Yitia market in Ediofe trading center noted that the only challenge they face during the national cleaning day is the lack of protective gears, calling for intervention of authorities;

“My people are a bit cooperative but government has not provide us with protective gears but we try our best. We urge the government next time to help us with such kind of things (protective gears) because some of these dirt or some of these areas are too dirty and without some of these things (protective gears) you can get diseases.” Andima said.

Addressing these concerns, the resident city commissioner of Arua, Rtd. Maj. Gen. Betty Akello Otekat said.

“We have been supported by our partners with some few equipment and gadgets like the PPEs, however you know like any beginning activity has its own challenges. We have leaders in each and every district like the Members of Parliaments, some of these issues will be raised to them so that they can pass it to parliament and they legislate upon it,” Otekat said urging people to also improvise.

The Ugandan government did not allocated funding specifically for the monthly National Cleaning Days. This leaves local governments struggling to provide PPEs to the communities with many people exposed to harmful pathogens, toxic chemicals, and physical injuries during the exercise.

Written by newsroom-radiopacis