Women are at the front line battling Covid-19 in East Africa.

Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania and Rwanda have women managing Covid-19 health teams in their respective countries. Burundi and South Sudan are men managing at the forefront.

East Africa has a combined 800 cases and 25 fatalities since the pandemic broke out in the region a month ago.

Uganda has the pair of Dr. Jane Ruth Aceng and Dr. Diana Atwine. Uganda has 74 cases and no death. Kenya has Dr. Mercy Mwangangi who is supervised by Health Cabinet Secretary Mutahi Kagwe.

Dr. Mercy is famed for announcing the lock down where culprits would be quarantined for 14 if they stayed outside the curfew hours. Kenya has 320 cases and 14 fatalities.

Tanzania’s Covid-19 health team is led by Health Minister Ummy Mwalimu.  Mwalimu has the most difficult situation in the region with rising cases. The country has 284 cases and 10 fatalities.

Here is a look at the women who are charged with the duty to save the region from Covid-19 with additional information from Wikidepia.

Dr. Jane Ruth Aceng

Jane Ruth Aceng, is a paediatrician and politician. She is the Minister of Health in the Cabinet of Uganda. She was appointed to that position on 6 June 2016.

She served as the Director General of Medical Services from June 2011 to 2016 in the Ministry of Health.

Profile
Born: May 11, 1968 (age 51 years), Uganda
Known for: Public service
Education: Nabisunsa Girls’ Secondary School, Makerere University College of Health Sciences
Titles: Ministry of Health of Uganda, Cabinet of Uganda

Dr. Diana Atwine

Diana Kanzira Atwine MBChB, MMed, is a Ugandan medical doctor and civil servant. She is the incumbent Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Health. She was appointed to that position on 4 November 2016 by Yoweri Museveni.

Profile
Born: 1973 (age 47 years), Galiraya
Spouse(s): Mr. Kanzira
Alma mater: Mbarara University of Science and Technology
Known for: Medicine, Management

Dr. Mercy Mwangangi
Is the current chief administrative secretary of the ministry of health, Kenya.
She graduated from the university of adelaide in Australia in 2015 with a Masters degree in health economics and policy.


She currently works as the chief administrative secretary of the ministry of health in Kenya. This came into place after she was appointed by President Uhuru Kenyatta to take the position.

Before this, she worked as the head of health financing and health economics at the ministry of health in Kenya
Apart from being the CAS of the Kenyan ministry of health, Mercy works as a join secretary in the task-force on universal health coverage.

This is one of the pillars of the Big Four Agenda by Jubilee party. Mercy is also a member of the African women in leadership network.

Ummy Mwalimu
Ummy Ally Mwalimu is a Tanzanian politician belonging to the ruling Chama Cha Mapinduzi party. She has been Minister of Health, Community Development, Gender, Seniors and Children in the Cabinet of Tanzania since 2015.

She is a two-term Member of Parliament, appointed to a seat reserved for women.

Profile
Born: September 5, 1973 (age 46 years), Tanzania
Party: Chama Cha Mapinduzi
Education: University Of Dar Es Salaam, University of Pretoria