“From today onward, I will ask my patients to buy their own smoking pipes,” declared Barbara Nansubuga, a respected traditional healer in Kawempe. Her voice firm and clear cut through the silence of the hall, signaling a transformative moment not just for her, but for her entire community.
On June 20, 2025, a gathering of extraordinary purpose took place at the Kawempe Division Hall. Seventeen traditional healers (keepers of culture), trusted voices in their neighborhoods sat side by side, not to perform rituals, but to learn. Uganda Red Cross Society (URCS), in partnership with UNICEF and the Ministry of Health, had convened the meeting to address the alarming rise of Mpox cases in the community.
Declared a Public Health Emergency of International Concern by the World Health Organization in August 2024, Mpox had quietly infiltrated communities, with Uganda’s first reported cases linked to two pregnant women from the Democratic Republic of Congo. In the months that followed, the disease spread quickly especially in areas where traditional healing practices often involved close personal contact.
It was here, amid the colorful robes and ancestral beads, that science and tradition met.
“We learned that Mpox can spread through touch, through shared personal items like smoking pipes,” one health officer explained. “And these healers are the first line of contact for many people especially those who fear hospitals or can’t afford modern medical care.”
For Barbara Nansubuga, the training was a wake-up call. Smoking pipes had long been part of her healing process. But after learning how easily viruses like Mpox transmit, her practices shifted immediately. “Health is sacred,” she said. “Our culture should never be a gateway to disease.”

Her sentiments were echoed by Kojja Muwomya, a popular spiritualist known across Kawempe. “I thought Mpox only spread through sex,” he admitted, visibly moved. “But now, I understand my role better. We are not just traditional healers. We are frontline health defenders too.”
Fred Mukakama, a custodian of Manddwa Shrine, embraced his role in the health system with new clarity. “From now on, if someone shows signs of Mpox, skin rashes, fever, swollen glands, I will refer them to the Ministry of Health. I even saved the toll-free number.”
As the session unfolded, the room transformed from a space of fear to one of empowerment. The healers discussed hygiene improvements in their shrines, strategies for reducing patient contact, and ways to pass on this knowledge to families and neighbors.
By the end of the day, something remarkable had happened. These custodians of tradition had become champions of change. With URCS at their side, they walked out of the Division Hall carrying more than pamphlets, they carried purpose.
This is what community-based health response looks like: culturally sensitive, locally led, and rooted in trust. And as they returned to their shrines, these traditional warriors carried a renewed vow to preserve life, protect dignity, and ensure that even in the fight against modern epidemics, no one is left behind.
In Kawempe, hope now wears a red cross and it walks hand-in-hand with tradition.