When Hoima District got its first coronavirus case, the population went into shock. The patient, a guard with a security company in Afghanistan had returned home unaware of his status and when he fell sick and took the test, it came out positive.

The community stigmatised the family and first case of corona in Hoima. They did everything to keep him and his family at bay. The community turned violent against them and the 90 individuals whom they said had direct contact with him. They were denied access to social services and children from that family were chased away from boreholes and community wells.

Noticing how this stigma was creating negative and angry backlash to anyone that had contact with the sick person, Charles Kabogoza decided to do something about it. He brought to attention to the ill knowing it had to be stopped in its tracks. Quickly, he reached out to World Vision, his employer, who went ahead to alert the District Health Office of the problem that was getting out of hand. He then mobilized fellow community counsellors and led the response against stigma and discrimination in Hoima District, particularly Kyabigambire Sub-county. The committee developed a communication strategy on COVID-19 prevention, including prevention of stigma and discrimination of COVID-19 suspects and their families.

World Vision has since supported Charles and the Hoima Task Force in addressing several radio programmes aimed at dismissing the myths and misconceptions, that help quell the hostilities against COVID-19 suspects. World Vision has also established a psycho-social quarantine centre for the rehabilitation and monitoring of the affected persons and resettling them into their homes, and playing a create support into Hoima District.