Kampala. Uganda’s Ministry Health, with support from the World Health Organization (WHO), SEED Global Health and other partners conducted the first ever After-Action Review (AAR) for a mass gathering event in the African Region on 29-30 August 2024. The event reviewed the 2024 Uganda Martyrs commemoration gathering in Kampala. The AAR was facilitated by technical officers from the WHO Africa Regional Emergency Hub in Nairobi.

Like many countries around the world, mass gatherings in Uganda are increasing in frequency, complexity, and risk. The AAR was organized to identify and document best practices, address challenges and lessons learnt, in addition to promoting institutionalization of best practices for strengthening preparedness and response systems to mass gatherings in Uganda.

“Mass gatherings have the potential to cause widescale effects on health, the environment, and livelihoods. However, through a well organised plan, we can reduce health risks before the event and prepare for any emergency requiring a health response by reflecting on and documenting identified best practices, challenges, and mitigation measures,” said Dr. Henry Mwebesa, the Director General for Health services in the Ministry of Health.

The annual pilgrimage to Namugongo to commemorate the Marty’s day is held on 3 June in memory of a group of 22 Catholic and 23 Anglican converts to Christianity in the historical kingdom of Buganda. The religious site in Namugongo is found about 20 km from the capital City, Kampala. There are four religious shrines within a three Kilometre radius of one another. Since the Uganda Martyrs were canonised 60 years ago, the annual event has grown from a couple of hundred believers to about four million pilgrims in 2024. 

The preparation and health response to the 2024 martyrs’ day celebrations was coordinated through different committees led by the Ministry of Health with support from WHO and other partners who put in place necessary public health measures to coordinate the event and mitigate the impact of existing and potential public health threats whilst providing routine healthcare to pilgrims. The AAR brought together all partners who contributed to the success of the health response to the mass gathering. 

An AAR is one of four International Health Regulations (IHR 2005) monitoring and evaluation framework components and is recommended to be conducted within three months after the end of a public health response. It is also part of the preparedness and response cycle.

During the AAR workshop, participants were divided into groups representing the various response pillars. These were;

• Coordination (including emergency operations centre, inter-sectorial working, Risk assessment and event planning oversight), data and information management.

• Risk communication and community engagement

• Security, pilgrims’ reception, and documentation

• Logistics

• Environmental health and WASH (water, sanitation and hygiene) 

• Surveillance, national laboratory system, points of entry

• Event medical services (emergency medical services, on-site clinics, and referral facilities) 

The 50 participants documented the preparedness and response activities that were in place before and during the outbreak, in addition to developing a comprehensive action plan to enhance preparedness and improve future management of mass gathering events. The action plan prioritized the need to develop a mass gathering management framework for the country. 

“These findings, plus experiences from previous mass gatherings in the country, are an opportunity for the response teams to reflect on and document identified best practices and challenges and make recommendations to improve preparedness efforts for future mass gatherings,” said Alemu Kurabachew on behalf of the Acting WHO Representative to Uganda.

WHO Uganda acknowledges the timely technical support provided by the WHO Regional Office for Africa and WHO Headquarters, in conducting the AAR.