NATIONAL
Today NDA officials led by the authority chairman Dr. Medard Bitekyerezo have met the Tooro Kingdom leaders for a meeting to enter into collaboration that is aimed at promoting the health of Ugandans.
Dr. Bitekyerezo told the people of Tooro Kingdom that this is aimed at increasing stakeholder, engagement and collaboration with partners to support NDA regulatory functions as they had earlier shared when they met in Kampala where NDA developed a strategic Plan (2020/2021 -2024/2025), among its four objectives.
Dr. Bitekyerezo notes that since the development of the Strategic plan, NDA has had ongoing discussions with traditional institutions like Tooro, seeking collaborative efforts in creating awareness about safe drug use, control of drug and substance abuse especially among the youths, promoting herbal medicine and standards of practitioners, and mitigating hawking of drugs and all its associated health risks.
‘’It excites me to see that NDA is in a process of entering into a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Tooro kingdom which will facilitate this critical partnership that will ensure that the people of Tooro and the country at large have access to safe and quality medicine (herbal and conventional) that are used appropriately’’ said Dr. Bitekyerezo.
Dr. Bitekyerezo said this MOU will provide an opportunity for NDA to partner with Tooro Kingdom to promote safe drug use and eliminate self- medication and collaborate in activities aimed at prevention of drug and substance abuse, hawking of drugs and associated health risks.
NDA committed to Tooro kingdom that they will support their administration in improving the quality of herbal medicines through trainings, access to current good manufacturing practices and assisting herbal drugs manufacturers/dealers in having notified products on the market.
During this meeting, NDA donated furniture to Tooro kingdom worth 10 million to show their commitment to the relationship. This was handed over by the authority chairman Dr. Bitekyerezo Medard to Mr. Stephen Kiyingi Amooti on behalf of the Omukama who was not present for the meeting.
Dr. Bitekyerezo extended NDA’s humble salutation to Tooro for their visionary leadership especially for accepting to champion their relationship with Tooro Kingdom noting that they look forward to working with the kingdom in promoting and protecting public healthcare.
