Health workers in Kapelebyong District have received a major boost in their efforts to reach children living in remote villages following the Ministry of Health’s delivery of four brand-new motorcycles to support immunization outreach services.
The motorcycles are expected to improve access to life-saving vaccines by enabling health workers to travel more efficiently to hard-to-reach communities, where low immunization coverage has previously contributed to outbreaks of preventable diseases.
Kapelebyong District Communication Officer Emmanuel Opio welcomed the support, describing it as both timely and essential.
“It was risky and very expensive transporting vaccines on passenger boda bodas,” Opio explained. “Health workers had to negotiate with riders, and sometimes vaccines would arrive late or be exposed to heat. With these motorcycles, our Village Health Teams (VHTs) and nurses can now move faster, conduct more outreaches, and return early to store the vaccines properly.”
He noted that the improved transport will help increase coverage of key childhood vaccines, including those against measles, polio, and pentavalent diseases, particularly among children under the age of five.
Opio also called on the health workers and sub-counties entrusted with the motorcycles to use them responsibly and ensure they remain in good condition.
“We are calling on the beneficiaries to ensure the motorcycles are well maintained and used only for health work,” he said. “Fuel and routine servicing will be catered for under the district health budget, but misuse will not be tolerated.”
The motorcycles form part of the Ministry of Health’s nationwide initiative to strengthen immunization services, increase vaccine coverage across Uganda, and reduce child deaths caused by preventable diseases.
