Apaa Residents Reject Adjumani Health Workers for Measles-Rubella Immunization

Apaa residents have rejected health workers from Adjumani to immunize them during the mass vaccination against measles and rubella diseases.

Over 18 million children aged 15 to zero will be vaccinated across the country during the exercise that starts on Wednesday.

In the contested Apaa Township 5,800 children will be vaccinated according to Christopher Ocen the head of Village Health Teams (VHT) in Apaa.

On Tuesday, Ocen said that the residents have rejected the health workers from Adjumani district citing distrust.

He explained that during his outreaches the residents expressed fear of intoxication by Madi health workers whom they claim are unhappy with them because of the dispute over Apaa land.

On Tuesday a meeting of VHTs from Amuru and Adjumani was convened at Otwee Town Council over the immunization schedule but the community leaders from Apaa equally said they will not allow their children be vaccinated by Adjumani health workers.

Wilson Acuma, Apaa, the LCI Chairperson said his community members are still haunted by ghost of the 2017 land conflict with Madi speaking tribe of Adjumani that caused the death of ten people.

Geoffrey Omony, the Labala Parish Councillor III where Apaa is located said health officials from Amuru and Adjumani districts on Tuesday agreed to hold the immunization by health workers from Amuru.

He said the exercise will be held at seven community schools in the area.

Apaa has been at the epicentre of conflict between Madi tribe of Adjumani and Acholi of Amuru since 2013. Both claim ownership of the land.

In 2017, Tom Butiime, the Minister for Local Government declared that Apaa was in Adjumani district a decision highly contested by the Acholi community.