A situational analysis of priority disaster hazards in Uganda: findings from a hazard and vulnerability analysis.

BACKGROUND: Most countries in sub-Saharan Africa have not conducted a disaster risk analysis. Hazards and vulnerability analyses provide vital information that can be used for development of risk reduction and disaster response plans. The purpose of this study was to rank disaster hazards for Uganda, as a basis for identifying the priority hazards to guide disaster management planning. METHODS: The study as conducted in Uganda, as part of a multi-country assessment. A hazard, vulnerability and capacity analysis was conducted in a focus group discussion of 7 experts representing key stakeholder agencies in disaster management in Uganda. A simple ranking method was used to rank the probability of occurance of 11 top hazards, their potential impact and the level vulnerability of people and infrastructure. RESULTS: In-terms of likelihood of occurance and potential impact, the top ranked disaster hazards in Uganda are: 1) Epidemics of infectious diseases, 2) Drought/famine, 3) Conflict and environmental degradation in that order. In terms of vulnerability, the top priority hazards to which people and infrastructure were vulnerable were: 1) Conflicts, 2) Epidemics, 3) Drought/famine and, 4) Environmental degradation in that order. Poverty, gender, lack of information, and lack of resilience measures were some of the factors promoting vulnerability to disasters. CONCLUSION: As Uganda develops a disaster risk reduction and response plan, it ought to prioritize epidemics of infectious diseases, drought/famine, conflics and environmental degradation as the priority disaster hazards.

A descriptive overview of the burden, distribution and characteristics of epidemics in Uganda.

BACKGROUND: Although Uganda is a high burden country for epidemics of infectious diseases, the pattern of epidemics has not yet been adequately documented. The purpose of this study was to describe the distribution, magnitude and characteristics of recent epidemics in Uganda, as a basis for informing policy on priorities for targeted prevention of epidemics. METHODS: Qualitative and quantitative data was collected from the Epidemiological Surveillance Division of the Ministry of Health and the African Field Epidemiology Network through key informant interviews and a documents review. RESULTS: Acute outbreaks that have occurred since 2002 are: Cholera, Meningitis, Malaria, Viral Hemorrhagic Fevers (Ebola, Marburg), arboviruses (yellow-fever), Anthrax, Hepatitis E, Measles, Polio, Influenza A viruses, dysentery and other diarrheal diseases. Chronic outbreaks include: Propagated epidemics of cholera, head nodding disease, Hepatitis B, Hepatitis E, HIV and Typhoid Fever. Thirty-one districts had a high incidence of cholera. Most of the epidemic prone diseases are preventable through appropriate behavior change and sanitation measures. However, current focus is mainly on prevention, low focus on prevention. Community involvement in resilience and early detection is inadequate. CONCLUSION: Uganda has a high burden of preventable epidemic prone diseases. There is need to invest in surveillance, early detection and sustainable prevention through appropriate technology and behavior change involving individuals, families, communities and policy makers.

A descriptive analysis of the institutional frameworks for disaster management in Uganda: structures, functions and gaps.

BACKGROUND: There is insufficient documentation of the institutional frameworks for disaster management and resilience at different levels in sub-Saharan Africa. The objective of this study was to describe the institutional framework for disaster management in Uganda, and to identify actionable gaps at the different levels. METHODS: This was part of a multi-country assessment in which 6 countries in Eastern Africa developed and applied a common tool. The assessment was qualitative in nature employing a mixed methods approach including review of documents, interviews with key informants from agencies involved in disaster management in Uganda, group discussions with stakeholder and synthesis meetings of the assessment team. FINDINGS: The Office of the Prime Minister is the lead agency for disaster management, but management of disasters of a technical nature is devolved to line ministries (e.g. epidemics by the Health Ministry and Epizootics by the Agriculture Ministry). A new policy spells out disaster management structures at national, district, sub-county, and village levels. Key challenges included coordination, more focus on prevention than risk reduction, differences in capacity between sectors and inadequate inter-sectoral collaboration. The new policy and structures have not yet been rolled out to districts and sub-district levels, and districts lack a line item budget for disaster capacity building. CONCLUSIONS: The institutional framework for disaster management in Uganda needs to be strengthened at all levels through initiation of the relevant structures, training, and resource allocation so that they develop disaster management plans.

Integration of participatory approaches into surveillance systems.

Animal health surveillance is essential for protecting public health, enhancing access to international markets for animals and their products, and improving animal health, production and welfare. It is of vital importance for protecting and improving the livelihoods of diverse groups of livestock keepers and stakeholders in livestock value chains. Surveillance systems consist of sets of complementary components which generate information to inform risk assessment, decision-making and policy formulation for both national programmes and international trade. Participatory approaches have the potential to add value to surveillance systems by enhancing their performance, especially their sensitivity and timeliness, and encouraging the inclusion of marginalised groups. This paper summarises key considerations in the assessment and design of animal health surveillance and discusses how participatory approaches can be integrated into comprehensive surveillance systems, leading to a more effective overall outcome for both domestic and international purposes.