{"id":9286,"date":"2026-10-16T15:53:25","date_gmt":"2026-10-16T15:53:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/govinfohub.go.ug\/?p=9286"},"modified":"2026-10-19T15:57:00","modified_gmt":"2026-10-19T15:57:00","slug":"state-house-medical-camp-promotes-early-detection-and-workplace-wellness","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/govinfohub.go.ug\/index.php\/2026\/10\/16\/state-house-medical-camp-promotes-early-detection-and-workplace-wellness\/","title":{"rendered":"State House Medical Camp Promotes Early Detection and Workplace Wellness"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

By Caroline Nakire<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

State House has strengthened its workplace wellness efforts through a medical camp that provided staff with preventive healthcare, health education and opportunities for early detection of illnesses.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The exercise, held on Friday, 16th October 2026 at Okello House in Nakasero, offered HIV and tuberculosis (TB) screening, Hepatitis B testing, cancer screening, Non-Communicable Disease (NCD) screening, physiotherapy and blood donation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Organised by Ms Nachwa Viola, a counsellor and HIV\/TB focal person at State House, the initiative supports the Presidential Initiative aimed at ending HIV\/AIDS as a public health threat by 2030.Held under the theme, \u201cEarly Detection, Lifelong Protection: Your Future,\u201d the camp encouraged staff to make regular health checks part of their routine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ms Hope Nyakairu, Under Secretary for Finance and Administration at State House and guest of honour, said the exercise demonstrated commitment to safeguarding staff welfare.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt gives me great pleasure to welcome you all to this important State House medical camp. This camp is a clear demonstration of our commitment to the health, welfare and well-being of our staff and their families,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Mr Benon Twinobusingye, Head of Human Resource, during the medical camp.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mr Benon Twinobusingye, Assistant Commissioner and Head of Human Resource, said a productive institution depends on a healthy workforce.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cToday, we had a medical camp for our staff. We acknowledge that the health and well-being of our staff are paramount, because healthy staff are productive staff,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The camp included awareness sessions on disease prevention, treatment adherence, mental health, nutrition and healthy lifestyles.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

HIV prevention featured prominently, with participants encouraged to test regularly and avoid stigma.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dr Stephen Watiti, 73, who has lived with HIV for decades, shared his experience of managing the condition on antiretroviral therapy. He said adherence had enabled him to suppress the virus and maintain his health, warning that stigma and misinformation continue to undermine control efforts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He also highlighted prevention of mother-to-child transmission, urging women to know their HIV status and test during pregnancy and breastfeeding.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On TB, participants were encouraged to recognise symptoms and seek prompt testing and treatment. Speakers stressed that stigma should not prevent people from seeking care.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Dr Stephen Watiti, 73, shares his experience of living with HIV for decades during a health education session<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sessions also highlighted risk factors including diabetes, poor nutrition, smoking and excessive alcohol consumption. Mental health was addressed as an integral part of well-being, with staff encouraged to seek professional support when necessary.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The camp included a voluntary blood donation drive.Ms Lilian Nantambi, senior blood donor recruiter at Uganda Blood Transfusion Services, said about 50 units had been collected by midday. She explained that one unit can be separated into components to benefit several patients, including surgery patients, mothers with childbirth complications and accident victims.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She encouraged regular voluntary donation to maintain adequate national stocks.Ms Dina Kebirungi, public health specialist from Uganda Cancer Institute, urged routine cancer screening, noting some cancers develop without early symptoms.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She said early detection improves treatment outcomes and reduces costs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ms Nachwa said the camp aimed to create a culture where staff prioritise health.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cToday’s main goal is to promote a healthy life among our staff members because good health results in a healthy workforce. We always encourage our staff to test and know their status,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ms Annette Mukabera, Special Presidential Assistant on Political Affairs, welcomed the initiative as an opportunity to access services and learn about disease prevention, particularly cancer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dr Samuel Oledo, member of the State House medical team, advised staff to complement examinations with regular exercise and balanced diets.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mr Richard Beyunga, General Secretary of the Achievers Initiative SACCO for State House staff, thanked organisers and proposed quarterly camps to enable frequent health checks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dr Paul Steven Ayera Atari, Assistant Director at the State House Health Monitoring Unit, said the exercise aligns with the Presidential directive for ministries to implement workplace wellness programmes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThis medical camp is in line with the Presidential call for every ministry to conduct wellness programmes at their workplaces. These programmes are not limited to physical exercise but also include ensuring adequate nutrition, sufficient sleep and regular medical check-ups,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He noted that some conditions show no obvious symptoms early, making routine screening essential.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The camp reaffirmed State House’s commitment to promoting wellness through preventive healthcare, health education and early intervention.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By Caroline Nakire State House has strengthened its workplace wellness efforts through a medical camp that provided staff with preventive healthcare, health education and opportunities for early detection of illnesses. The exercise, held on Friday, 16th October 2026 at Okello House in Nakasero, offered HIV and tuberculosis (TB) screening, Hepatitis B testing, cancer screening, Non-Communicable […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":9290,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-9286","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-health"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t