Teso: Mis-information Against Immunization Forces Soroti NGO to Roll Out Campaign Against Misinformation

Teso sub-region in Eastern Uganda is grappling with a silent but deadly enemy of misinformation against Immunization, the study from Shine Africa – Teso (SAF -) indicates.

As preventable diseases continue to claim the lives of children and mothers, a local NGO, Shine Africa – Teso (SAF-Teso), has now launched an intensive campaign to counter the dangerous myths and falsehoods surrounding immunization.

At the official launch of the anti-misinformation campaign in Soroti City on Thursday, Michael Anguria, the Executive Director of SAF-Teso, described the growing urgency of the initiative.

Speaking about the public health risks caused by vaccine hesitancy, Anguria said: “From 2019 through 2021, we witnessed an alarming number of deaths among children and mothers due to vaccine-preventable diseases. This is unacceptable.”

Founded in 2009, SAF-Teso has long been involved in public health interventions.

“We don’t want to see children dying. We don’t want to see mothers dying. We have global targets to meet and a duty to protect our communities,” Anguria said.

“This is why we are working with local governments, civil society organizations, NGOs, and international partners to dispel misinformation and increase vaccine uptake.”

Through a combination of school visits, community outreaches, and awareness campaigns, SAF-Teso plans to engage at least 5,000 individuals in Soroti and neighboring districts.

The goal is to provide fact-based, accessible information to communities who have been misled by harmful myths and conspiracy theories.

“We are going directly into the communities,” Anguria added. “We’ll visit schools, hold barazas, organize outreach events, and talk to people one-on-one. We want to confront the lies and misinformation directly, especially the belief that vaccines harm rather than protect.”

“We want to build bridges between the health system and the people,” Anguria said. “We want to replace fear with facts, confusion with clarity, and suspicion with confidence.”

He added that the campaign will closely monitor attitudes and behaviors, and adjust strategies as needed. “This is not a one-off event. It’s a sustained effort. Our ultimate goal is to ensure that no child is left behind when it comes to life-saving immunization.”

This campaign is not just timely, it is necessary.

The Teso sub-region has been facing a growing problem of vaccine refusal, even amid rising threats of outbreaks.

Recently, when a new polio vaccination campaign was rolled out in response to an outbreak in neighboring Mbale, resistance in Soroti was notable.

Simon Peter Ochom, a Nursing Officer at Gweri Health Centre III and Soroti District Medicine Management Officer, emphasized the frustrating reality health workers face.

“It’s demoralizing,” he said. “We have the vaccines. We have the staff. We are in the field every day. But people are refusing the vaccines.”

Ochom cited a disturbing example during the recent polio campaign: “A local councilor, someone the community respects, refused to have their child vaccinated. This kind of behavior, especially from community leaders, undermines everything we are trying to achieve.”

The refusal led to a legal standoff.

“Under the Public Health Act, a parent who denies their child lifesaving vaccines can face legal consequences. The child’s right to health takes precedence,” Ochom explained.

He added that enforcement is not the preferred method.

“We don’t want to force immunization. We want to inform, persuade, and empower communities with the right knowledge.”

Rose Mary Amucu, a midwife at Soroti Health Centre III, painted a similarly challenging picture.

“We encounter so much resistance, and a lot of it is rooted in misinformation. Some believe the vaccines are designed to kill or sterilize their children. Others think it’s a foreign agenda to wipe out our people.”

Amucu said the spread of such myths is often fueled by educated elites who use social media and informal gatherings to disseminate anti-vaccine propaganda.

“Even the media sometimes gives airtime to these harmful views, and that must stop,” she said.

Her call was echoed by Yaheri Adiko, Vice Chairperson of SAF-Teso’s Board.

“We urge media practitioners to be responsible. A single rumor can destroy an entire vaccination campaign. It spreads like wildfire, and the damage can be irreversible.”

According to Adiko, the media must be part of the solution.

“We need our journalists to speak facts. To be partners in this work, not obstacles. Misinformation is a disease, and we must all be part of the cure,” Adiko said.

Involving educational institutions in the campaign is a strategic move, according to Grace Okwalinga, Head Teacher at Kichinjaji Primary School.

“Our pupils are the future. If we start here, we build long-term resilience in our communities. I welcome this initiative fully,” she said.

The school-based approach will include sensitization sessions for pupils, parents, and teachers.

These will cover not just the benefits of immunization, but also the science behind vaccines, their safety, and the diseases they prevent, such as measles, polio, HPV, and yellow fever.

Uganda, like many countries, has faced challenges in immunization uptake, especially during and after the COVID-19 pandemic.

Conspiracy theories and distrust of government programs, often imported from global anti-vaccine movements, have taken root in some regions.

According to the Ministry of Health, vaccine coverage in some districts has fallen below 70%, far below the recommended 90% needed for herd immunity.

This has left thousands of children unprotected and at risk.

In Teso, health workers say myths have especially impacted campaigns targeting HPV (for cervical cancer), polio, and yellow fever.

“Some parents believe HPV vaccines make girls infertile,” Amucu explained. “This is totally false, but the fear persists.”

As Uganda works toward achieving universal immunization coverage by 2030, campaigns like that of SAF-Teso offer hope. They show that with community-driven, culturally sensitive, and evidence-based approaches, vaccine hesitancy can be reversed.