The National Drug Authority (NDA) and Tooro Kingdom have joined hands to clamp down on illegal traders of medicines in the Rwenzori region.
Dr. Merdard Bitekyerezo, the chairperson of NDA says they are purposely partnering with Tooro to preserve the local medicinal herbs and even if it means putting in money, NDA is set to do it.
He says many people are taking a variety of drugs that are detrimental to peoples health like Narcotic drugs, reducing the use of tobacco and alcohol abuse.
They have now resolved to engaging communities and use their leaders to teach them the dangers associated to poor drug handling, self-medication and drug abuse.
Misuse of drugs
Bitekyerezo, who was speaking at a meeting attended by the Tooro Kingdom Prime Minister Steven Kiyingi, on Wednesday January 25, at the Tooro Kingdom Rukurato hall in Mucwa, said that so many people in villages to resort to drug sales since they only had a few options for work.
As a result, he says there is a lot of drug misuse which risks people complications in the future such as organ failure.
He said NDA has given the kingdom 100 free indigenous trees. Bitekyerezo said Tooro is home to most medicinal trees in Uganda with the most found in Kibaale forest.
Tooro Kingdom determined to transform flora
Kwemara Ngabo William Ateenyi , the Deputy Prime Minister, said that they have heard complaints of youth crushing Anti-retro-viral drugs for HIV and smoking them which puts their lives in great danger and asked NDA to reign on them and curb the vice.
The Tooro Kingdom speaker, pledged that the kingdom will be a watchdog and report such practices to the technical teams at the drug authority but asked them to open an office in Fort Portal for easy access.
Prime Minister Steven Kiyingi said other than partnering on drug use surveillance, the Kingdom needs to be helped to transform the abundant flora in the area into herbal medicines that can be acceptable on the world’s medicines market.
NDA also donated office furniture to the Kingdom as a first sign of working together. They also planted a tree with the Kingdom officials to kick start the indigenous tree planting.
