By Oola Courage Allan
Communication Officer, Kitgum District Date 25/09/2026
NDA and Uganda Veterinary Council Train Kitgum Veterinary Practitioners on Pharmacovigilance.
Kitgum, Uganda — National Drug Authority (NDA), in partnership with the Uganda Veterinary Council, has as of today 25/09/2026 trained veterinary professionals in Kitgum District on veterinary pharmacovigilance, with emphasis on the safe use of veterinary medicines, vaccines, cold-chain management and reporting of adverse drug events.
The one-day training, held at the Kitgum District Council Hall, brought together the District Veterinary Office and private veterinary practitioners as part of efforts to strengthen the safety and responsible use of veterinary medicines at community level.
Veterinary pharmacovigilance involves the detection, assessment, understanding and prevention of adverse effects and other problems associated with veterinary medicinal products. The NDA has developed guidelines and reporting mechanisms to strengthen monitoring of the safety and effectiveness of medicines used in animals.
Speaking during the training, Acting Kitgum District Veterinary Officer Francis Omona appreciated the support extended to the district by the National Drug Authority, particularly in strengthening vaccine management and cold-chain practices.
Omona said the district had recently submitted a list of veterinary practitioners and was grateful for the continued engagement with regulatory authorities.
He also welcomed the recent recruitment of veterinary officers, saying the additional personnel would strengthen veterinary service delivery and contribute to improving farmers' livelihoods through better animal health management.
However, Omona raised concern over the continued practice of some community members purchasing veterinary medicines from shops and administering them to animals without professional guidance.
He said the practice could contribute to improper drug administration, misuse of medicines and poor treatment outcomes, stressing the importance of using registered and qualified veterinary practitioners.
Dr. Jeanne Bukeka Muhindo, Director of Veterinary Services at the National Drug Authority, said the training is intended to strengthen veterinary personnel's knowledge and capacity in veterinary pharmacovigilance, safe use of veterinary medicines and vaccines, and reporting of adverse drug events and cold chain management.
She noted that veterinary professionals play a critical role as last-mile custodians of veterinary medicines and vaccines, particularly in ensuring compliance, proper use and monitoring of safety concerns.
Dr. Jeanne Bukeka Muhindo emphasized the importance of identifying and reporting suspected adverse drug reactions and other problems associated with veterinary medicines.
She noted that the Authority continues to work with District Veterinary Officers and drug inspectors to strengthen veterinary medicine monitoring, although challenges remain, particularly in the management of cold-chain systems.
“It is our cardinal role to ensure that we detect, assess and report issues related to medicines and vaccines that portray adverse drug reactions in livestock,” Dr. Jeanne said.
The NDA's veterinary pharmacovigilance framework encourages animal-health professionals to report suspected adverse events, including lack of expected efficacy and other medicine-related problems. The Authority provides mechanisms for reporting adverse events and has specific veterinary adverse-event reporting tools.
Dr. Jeanne further disclosed that Kitgum is among the first 46 districts to benefit from a hybrid cold-chain storage facility for vaccines, urging veterinary personnel to use and maintain the facility effectively and efficiently to preserve vaccine quality.
CAO calls for stronger veterinary services
The Chief Administrative Officer Kitgum District, Mr. Habib Abubakar, welcomed the engagement between the district, the National Drug Authority and the Uganda Veterinary Council, describing the training as timely.
He said strengthening Veterinary professionals' knowledge would enable them to better interact with farmers at grassroots level and address knowledge gaps surrounding animal health, medicines and vaccination.
Abubakar challenged veterinary officers to take their responsibilities seriously and maintain accurate knowledge of the animal population within their areas of operation, particularly at sub-county level.
He said reliable information on livestock populations is essential for effective planning, disease surveillance, vaccination campaigns and delivery of veterinary services.
The CAO also called for continued professional development of veterinary staff, urging the Uganda Veterinary Council to provide opportunities for career advancement and support veterinary personnel to maintain professional registration and licensing.
He noted that government-employed veterinary professionals should also ensure that they meet the relevant professional registration and licensing requirements.
The training comes at a time when responsible use of veterinary medicines is increasingly important to animal health and the livelihoods of farming communities.
For Kitgum's livestock farmers, veterinary professionals remain a critical link between regulatory authorities and communities. Through proper prescription, administration, storage and monitoring of medicines and vaccines, they can help reduce medicine misuse and ensure that suspected adverse events are identified and reported.
The NDA states that veterinary pharmacovigilance is a shared responsibility, requiring veterinary professionals and other stakeholders to provide information on adverse events to enable the Authority to monitor the safety and effectiveness of veterinary medicines.
The training therefore provided an opportunity for Kitgum's Veterinary Personnel to strengthen their knowledge and reaffirm their responsibility to safeguard animal health while supporting farmers to make informed decisions on the use of veterinary medicines.
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