Kotido’s Health Workers Battle Broken Paths to Save Lives

Assistant health Educator, Gabriel Nangiro. pushes his motorcycle through a flooded stretch in Kokorio South, Kotido—during mosquito net assessments on 18th July 2025. The 30-meter section had been swallowed by runoff after heavy rains.

By Richard Onapatum

When heavy rains swept across Kotido District last week, many roads transformed into mud traps and flood channels. But for health workers conducting mosquito net assessments under the Ministry of Health, there was no pause—only a push forward. In Kokorio South, Kanalobae Parish, under Maaru Subcounty, one service provider was photographed pushing his motorcycle through a 30-meter stretch of floodwater—capturing both the physical hardship and the deeper issue: Kotido’s crumbling road infrastructure.

For communities tucked deep within the Karamoja subregion, broken roads are more than inconvenience—they’re a daily barrier to essential health, education, and food systems. Dust during dry spells and impassable bogs during wet seasons define the terrain. In Kokorio South, a simple health assignment became a test of endurance, improvisation, and community resolve.

Health vs. Terrain
The Ministry of Health’s ongoing effort to distribute insecticide-treated nets (ITNs) in high-risk areas is vital—but in Kotido, success often depends on how far motorbikes can go before their wheels sink. Some providers complete house-to-house surveys on foot, carrying nets across flooded fields, using sticks to balance over washed-out culverts.

“It’s not the distance—it’s the danger,” said one team member. “A three-kilometer route can become impossible when the road turns into a river  

 The Infrastructure Challenge

Kotido District, part of Uganda’s remote Karamoja subregion, lacks reliable all-weather roads in many parishes. Seasonal rains routinely destroy dirt tracks, cut off villages from health centers, and delay emergency services. In Kokorio alone, residents report waiting weeks for supplies that take just hours to reach towns with paved roads.

Local leaders have called for urgent attention to rural road upgrades, especially in areas that serve frontline health programs.

“We can’t fight malaria or deliver vaccines with broken roads,” said one parish chief. “This photo shows what commitment looks like—but it shouldn’t have to.”

A Moment for Policy Reflection
As Uganda strengthens its health outreach and pandemic preparedness, Kotido’s story calls for broader integration of infrastructure into health planning. Investments in bridges, drainage, and road surfacing in underserved districts would turn heroic effort into routine delivery.