Iganga hosts World TB Day

Mar 25, 2014

UGANDA Health spokesperson Rukia Nakamatte Iganga district is hosting the event under the theme “Reach the 60,000 TB Patients. Test, Treat and Cure all."

By Violet Nabatanzi and Andrew Ssenyonga 

UGANDA Health spokesperson Rukia Nakamatte has revealed Iganga district is hosting the event under the theme “Reach the 60,000 TB Patients. Test, Treat and Cure all." 

Nakamatte said about 4,000 people diagnosed with Tuberculosis (TB) die annually in the country and over 60,000 people are likely to develop TB every year.

She said the day is aimed at strengthening public awareness about the global and national threat of Tuberculosis. It will also offer an opportunity to mobilize the political and social commitment for further interventions towards the fight against Tuberculosis. 

Nakamatte said the ministry has rolled out Tuberculosis diagnosis to over 1,000 hospitals and health center across the country including private-not-for-profit and private-for-profit ones that offer subsidized TB services. 

Research has shown that TB cases are also common among people living with HIV. For every 10 TB patients, five to seven of them have got HIV as well. TB is the cause of death among three out of every 10 HIV associated deaths. 

TB cases are also common among people living with HIV. For every 10 TB patients, five to seven of them have got HIV as well. TB is the cause of death among three out of every 10 HIV associated deaths.

She also appealed to TB patients to seek treatment saying that TB drugs are available and free of charge in public health facilities. 

Meanwhile, the authorities at Iganga hospital have  asked the government to construct a TB ward at the facility to minimise spread of  the airborne killer disease.

The District's TB and leprosy supervisor Joseph Mukasa said the hospital is the only TB treating facility in the region and therefore needs a multipurpose Tuberculosis Ward and laboratory. 

“The facility offer services to people from over 20 districts that in Busoga region and other district. We receive a lot of patients and we fear the disease might spread to other patients and the stuff,” Mukasa said last week. 

He added that in a bid to curb the spread of TB among Ugandans, the government has to ensure that the Multi Drug Resistant (MDR) patients receive proper medication.

“The entire clinic has only two doctors and two nurses attending to the bigger number of the MDR patients at the hospital,” Mukasa said. 

He said  most  of their patients were too poor to afford transporting themselves to the facility for treatment regularly. “This problem has led to a number of complications as patients fail to complete the dosage hence worsening the TB,” he explained.

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