The Ministry of Health has partnered with the Uganda Muslim Supreme Council to intensify health education among the communities.
The partnership between the two entities is also aimed at promoting health and disease prevention.
The Ministry Health team was led by the Permanent Secretary, Dr Diana Atwine, Director General Health Services, Dr Henry G. Mwebesa and Director Clinical and Curative Services, Dr Olaro Charles.
Speaking during the Symposium with Mufti Sheikh Shaban Ramadhan Mubajje, urged people to adopt sleeping under the net to prevent the spread of Malaria.
“Over 30 years ago, I made a resolution to always sleep under a mosquito net, and I can testify that for over the past 20 years, I have only fallen sick of Malaria once,” Mubaje said.
Mubaje assured the Health Ministry that religion can have an impact on disease, mortality, mobility, behaviour and lifestyle change among others.
Dr Diana Atwine, the Permanent Secretary in the ministry, said focus shouldn’t be only put on malaria but even other diseases like measles in children and non-communicable diseases.
“Our meeting with the religious leaders reinforces our message on disease prevention and health promotion. We trust the leaders to disseminate these messages to the communities and promote good health,” Atwine said.
She said that health is wealth adding that nothing can be achieved without health.
“A healthy population comes when empowered with knowledge to stay healthy and contributes to a productive economy.”
Dr. Henry Mwebesa, the Director-General of Health Services said the ministry is also going to engage other religious leaders through the Inter Religious Council of Uganda-IRCU on the same program.