Ministry of Health Rolls Out Shs 360 Million Immunisation Job Aids After Ntungamo Drug Mix-Up
The Ministry of Health has launched the distribution of Shs 360 million worth of immunisation job aids to health facilities across the country in a bid to strengthen supervision, accuracy, and accountability in vaccine delivery.
The materials, developed under the Saving Lives and Livelihoods Phase II programme, were officially handed over on November 12, 2025, and are aimed at improving the performance of frontline health workers and restoring public trust in Uganda’s immunisation and mass drug administration campaigns.
The move follows a recent health mishap in Ntungamo District, where over 100 pupils at Kajumbajumba Primary School in Rugarama North Sub-county were mistakenly administered an anti-seizure drug, Phenobarbitone, instead of the intended deworming medication, Albendazole. The incident caused panic among parents and raised serious concerns about supervision, medicine handling, and communication within the health sector.
Speaking during the handover ceremony, Alfred Dirwale, Commissioner of Health Services in charge of Institutional Capacity Building and Human Resource Development, said the job aids are designed to provide step-by-step guidance to health workers during vaccination and deworming exercises to eliminate avoidable errors.
“These tools will help health teams plan and execute immunisation sessions safely and correctly. They contain simple, easy-to-follow instructions on vaccine handling, storage, and administration,” Dirwale explained.
He emphasized that the rollout forms part of government’s broader efforts to restore public confidence in health campaigns after the Ntungamo incident, which temporarily shook trust in community health programs.
Rita Atugonza, from the Ministry’s Vaccines and Immunisation Division, noted that the job aids were developed in collaboration with the Ministry of Health and partners under the Africa CDC’s Saving Lives and Livelihoods initiative, funded by the Mastercard Foundation. She added that the materials will be distributed through the National Medical Stores (NMS), prioritizing high-risk and high-volume districts.
“These guides are not just for reference but are practical working tools for health teams in the field. We want to ensure that every health worker has access to accurate information at every point of service delivery,” Atugonza said.
The Ministry of Health has since launched a comprehensive investigation into the Ntungamo drug mix-up, promising to take disciplinary action against those responsible. Officials also pledged to intensify supervision at district and sub-county levels, ensure continuous refresher training for health workers, and tighten medicine storage and labeling standards.
Local leaders in Ntungamo have welcomed the Ministry’s response, urging for consistent monitoring to prevent similar errors in future. The District Council has also demanded a full report detailing the cause of the mix-up and measures being taken to safeguard pupils’ health.
The rollout of these job aids marks a significant step toward improving health worker performance, community safety, and confidence in Uganda’s mass immunisation and deworming initiatives, which are key components of the country’s public health strategy.
