Uganda

Uganda’s economy is also highly dependent on natural resources, making the country vulnerable to the impacts of climate change. The COVID-19 pandemic greatly affected Uganda’s economy as a result of a domestic lockdown that lasted for more than four months, border closures for all but essential cargo and the spillover effects of disruptions to global demand and supply chains. The consequences of the pandemic led to widespread firm closures, permanent layoffs in industry and services, a rapid slowdown of activity, particularly in the urban informal sector, and a movement of labour back to farming. As a result, HH income decrease led to high vulnerability of poverty and limited social safety nets. The last quarter of the year witnessed heightened political tensions as the country prepared for the general elections to be held in January 2021. The Karamoja region remained volatile with frequent banditry attacks and clashes.

Humanitarian & Development Needs addressed

Uganda, despite its endowment with immense natural resources, is ranked by the UNDP in the low humandevelopment category, finding itself at position 159 out of 189 countries and territories. In 2020, the country experienced significant impacts of climate change which includes changing weather patterns, a drop in water levels and increase in frequency of extreme weather events like floods, mudslides, drought, food insecurity and emerging infectious diseases for both animals and humans. Food insecurity is on the increase as a result of changes in climate, widespread deforestation, and disease outbreaks such as COVID-19, Rift Valley Fever, anthrax, PPR, brucellosis, tuberculosis, rabies, Ebola and others, plus a rapid annual population growth rate of 3.03%. In addition, Uganda hosts nearly 1.4 million refugees, primarily from South Sudan and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, making it the third-largest refugee-hosting country in the world. In the greater Karamoja Cluster, poor infrastructure, a lack of access to basic services and run-away insecurity are the underpinning development needs.

VSF Germany’s Response

VSF Germany’s interventions respond to drivers of food insecurity such as livestock disease outbreaks, especially for RVF and PPR in different parts of the country. The focus is on capacity building of animal health professionals in Participatory Disease Surveillance (PDS), disease control and surveillance and support to the animal ealth systems and coordination mechanisms among others. Needs relating to the safety of food of animal origin are also being addressed through support to improved veterinary public health governance and the prevention and control of anti-microbial resistance. In the last quarter of 2020, VSF Germany through its core-funds responded to rabies outbreak in Mpigi and Napak districts through a pilot rabies vaccination campaign project. The intervention builds on VSF Germany’s experience in Kenya and contributes to the Global Strategy for the eradication of rabies by 2030 under the overall framework of the One Heath Agenda.