President Yoweri Museveni has been recognised for his efforts towards the global fight against COVID-19.
Museveni is expected to receive his award in July during the first-ever international post-COVID-19 conference, according to Ambassador Abbey Walusimbi, the Senior Presidential Advisor on Diaspora Affairs.
Walusimbi said the conference is set to take place from July n to 13 in Toronto, Canada. In a statement yesterday, Walusimbi noted that Museveni will be recognised for being a “role model for pandemic containment in Africa.”
“The Head of State of the Republic of Uganda, Gen. Yoweri Kaguta Museveni, will be honoured with a global award at the international platform,” he said.
COVID-19, which is believed to have originated in China, reportedly caused the death of more than 6.86 million people after they contracted the respiratory virus.
In Uganda, more than 3,000 people died. However, analysts said the numbers could have been bigger had it not been for several proactive measures instituted by Museveni, including the structured lockdown which prevented the disease from spreading.
A CNN report quoting global research company Lancet that was published earlier this week ranked Uganda loth, and Number One in Africa, in combating the COVID-19 virus which got the whole world on tenterhooks.
Uganda emerged in the top 10 countries worldwide for its ability to suppress the pandemic, its low mortality rate, containing the spread of the virus and giving food relief to the public. At the award ceremony, former Kenya president Uhuru Kenyatta will also be recognised, as well as several personalities including Ugandans who have played a role in combating the virus.
These include; Senior Presidential Advisor on Population and Health Dr Specioza Wandira Kazibwe, Senior Presidential Advisor on Public Relations Mary Karooro Okurut, Minister for Health Dr Jane Ruth Aceng, and the Science, Technology, and Innovation Minister Dr Monica Musenero.
Others are; Ministry of Health Permanent Secretary Dr Diana Atwine, Covidex innovator Prof. Patrick Engeu Ogwang, Uganda Virus Research Institute director Prof. Pontiano Kaleebu and Dr Emmanuel Katongole, the co-founder and chairperson of Quality Chemicals Limited.
The event will run under the theme; Evaluating the Impact of COVID-19, On Humanity-Building Synergies and Resilience for Future Global Shocks.
Walusimbi noted that awards are being organised by the Livelihood Development Initiatives International, Intergovernmental Authority for Development (IGAD), Global World Canada and the African Union.
He expressed gratitude towards entities that have supported the awards ceremony.
They include; the Canadian government, World Health Organisation (WHO), UNAIDS, African Union 6th Region of Africa, Royal Bank Canada, Africa Canadian Social Development Council, IGAD, Toronto City and Standard Bank South Africa.
According to the conference brief, the event will also bring together global leaders, experts and stakeholders to discuss and strategise on the post-pandemic recovery efforts.
This will particularly focus on public health responses and ethical considerations in designing, implementing and preparing the global community to respond to future global shocks and emergencies in a unified well-coordinated effort.
The conference will be a platform to discuss policies that facilitate the mobilisation and distribution of resources, address social and structural inequalities in the world and invest in human resource capital development.
It will also enhance the distribution of medicines, propose sustainable pandemic financing, harmonise pandemic and emergency communication and equitable diffusion of technological innovations, among others.
As of May 4, last year, the International Health Regulations Emergency Committee of World Health Organisation declared COVID-19 as an ongoing health issue that no longer constitutes a public health emergency of international concern.
Consequently, on May 5, Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the WHO director general, declared the end to the global COVID-19 pandemic.
These declarations officially transitioned the world into a post-COVID-19 era with 769 million cumulative cases and 6.9 million deaths as of August 16, 2023.
