The Ministry of Health has passed out 134 Community Health Extension Workers (CHEWs) in Buikwe District, with government calling on the newly trained health workers to lead efforts against cancer risk factors, strengthen disease surveillance and improve primary healthcare services in their communities.
The graduation ceremony was presided over by the Minister of State for Health for Primary Health Care, Charles Ayume, alongside Director General Health Services Prof. Charles Olaro and Commissioner for Health Promotion, Education and Communication Dr Richard Kabanda.
Addressing the graduates, Ayume said the CHEWs would become the first point of contact between communities and the health system and urged them to play a bigger role in preventing diseases before they reach health facilities.
He challenged them to contribute to Uganda’s fight against cancer by tackling preventable risk factors such as alcohol abuse and drug use through community education and early intervention.
“You must become ambassadors of healthy living in your communities by helping people understand the dangers of excessive alcohol consumption, drug abuse and other preventable risks that contribute to disease,” Ayume said.
He said the government expects the new health workers to support immunisation programmes, maternal and child health services, sanitation campaigns and early disease detection as part of efforts to strengthen primary healthcare across the country.
Prof. Charles Olaro called on the graduates to remain vigilant in identifying and reporting unexplained deaths within their communities, saying timely reporting is critical in preventing outbreaks and improving public health planning.
“Every unexplained death matters. Report them promptly because mortality audits help us understand what is happening in communities and enable an early response where necessary,” Olaro said.
He said accurate community reporting would strengthen Uganda’s surveillance system, improve emergency responses and provide government with reliable data for planning health interventions.
Dr Richard Kabanda reminded the CHEWs that they were now public servants entrusted with government equipment and community confidence.
“The equipment handed over to your district is meant to serve the people. Take good care of it and uphold the discipline, professionalism and integrity expected of civil servants,” Kabanda said.
He encouraged the graduates to maintain close relationships with Village Health Teams (VHTs), health facilities and local leaders to ensure health messages reach households effectively.
The CHEW programme is one of the Ministry of Health’s flagship initiatives aimed at strengthening healthcare delivery at parish level by deploying trained, paid community health workers to bridge the gap between households and health facilities.
CHEWs complement the work of Village Health Teams by providing health education, disease surveillance, household registration, referrals for pregnant mothers and sick patients, and supporting government programmes such as immunisation, nutrition and sanitation campaigns.
The Buikwe graduation adds to the number of Community Health Extension Workers being deployed across Uganda as the government scales up the programme to improve access to essential health services and advance universal health coverage, particularly in underserved communities.
