BY MUBARAK HASSAN MUHENDO
The Ministry of Health has said that through the National Tuberculosis (TB) and Leprosy program, envision the end of the scourge in the Lango sub-region by 2030.
They say that this will be possible since they have dispatched mobile TB clinics through National TB and Leprosy program in fighting to end both diseases by 2030 in a program that is engaging the region’s cultural leaders on how to integrate efforts for the course collaboratively, it’s to be officiated by Minister of Health Dr. Jane Ruth Aceng.
According to Aceng, Uganda has more TB cases within the community with a high TB prevalence in the Lango subregion.
“Lira and Otuke districts followed by Oyam Apac, Kwania, and Alebtong,” Minister Aceng said.
While giving her presentation, Asst Commissioner of the National TB and Leprosy Program Dr. Turyahebwa Stavia elaborated on the signs and symptoms of TB, its prevention plus the map of those heavily affected areas in Lango.
The program is engaging the region’s cultural leaders on how to integrate efforts for the course collaboratively.
The 2010 World Health Organisation (WHO) annual report ranked Uganda in the 16th position worldwide among 22TB high-burden countries whereas in 2009, the leprosy case detection rate was 1.2/100,000. New cases continue to occur but 2/3 of cases came from only 13 out of 112 districts.
In 2016, the WHO supported a four-day meeting to review and provide input to the finalization TB prevalence survey report.
The findings showed that TB prevalence in Uganda is higher at 253 TB cases per 100,000 population than the previously reported estimate of 159 TB cases per 100,000 population based on the 2015 WHO Global TB report of which the prevalence of TB in children is at 36 cases per 100,000 population.
Before this, it should be recalled that Aceng had launched a committee they named National Coordination Committee (NCC) IN 2016 at the Ministry of Health headquarters tasked with the leadership to support coordination and scale-up of prevention, treatment, and care strategies in Uganda.
Mobile TB clinics are to be disseminated in the Lango region through the National TB and Leprosy program in fighting to end both diseases by 2030.
