Medical Needs
One area where the Church and state have failed miserably is the area of health care provision to all. Malaria still triumphantly surges on killing young and old alike, by the thousands each year. Water borne diseases march on unchecked - in the absence of a clean water programme. Sexually transmitted diseases have received a big boost from AIDS/HIV: there is not a single family in the diocese that has not been affected by this pandemic, and the infection rate shows no sign of abating. On the other side one has a rapidly growing population, ever-falling incomes, inadequate treatment facilities and a severe shortage of professional personnel. Treatment costs for common ailments are too high for ordinary folks, and drugs for the treatment of AIDS/HIV are prohibitively expensive to the average person. On top of all this there is the issue of fake drugs flooding the market, and government lacks the capacity to detect such drugs. Thus we have miserably failed all round to provide sound medical and health care to our people.
But as a church we are not taking this lying down .We feel we have a duty to help our people, the vast majority of whom cannot afford treatment offered by government and privately run clinics and hospitals. We have also to address the big issue of public health education programmes where emphasis must be put on disease prevention. Most water borne diseases can be avoided if people become fully alerted to dangers of drinking unboiled water. We also plan to carry out a public health education campaign concerning reproductive health generally, emphasising dangers paused by sexually transmitted diseases, the virtues of sound family planning and the dangers of premarital sex and of early parenthood, to minors. In this connection dangers to society of AIDS/HIV will also be spiced in. Another area we plan to tackle in this campaign is the issue of malaria eradication: it could be reduced if people could be taught the advantages of clearing bush and eliminating stagnant water from around their homes.
As a church we cherish the dream where one day it will be possible to care for our sick satisfactorily. We have a belief that facilities in terms of treatment centres should be availed closer to the people. One way to achieve this would be to have a health unit at each parish. Our aim is to equip these units with adequate drugs and other facilities, at a cost that most people can afford. The main problem is financial handicaps and personnel. Perhaps someone somewhere willing to do a spell of some missionary medical work can be found. We would most enthusiastically welcome them. Perhaps, dear reader, you have the knowledge, experience and skills in running disease prevention programmes in areas touched above, and would not mind working with and sharing your experiences with our people. You would be most welcome, and we trust that the Lord would most generously reward such time spent with us. But wherever you are please spare a minute or two in prayer for fellow suffering humans in West Buganda Diocese.
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