Mbarara records five tuberculosis deaths in six months

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In a space of six months, five people in Uganda's western district of Mbarara have succumbed to uberculosis (TB), according to the district HIV focal person, Rogers Arinaitwe.

He said the district recorded a death rate of 5 percent between the months of July and December 2025, with the majority being men.

This means ​that out of 100 people battling TB, five succumbed to the disease, which is typically caused by germs or bacteria transmitted from someone with the disease to another through the air when they cough, sneeze, or laugh.

Most TB affects the lungs, but it can affect other parts of the body.

Symptoms include cough, fever, night sweats, loss of weight or failure to gain weight in children, and chest pain or pain in the affected part if one has TB outside the lungs.

Uganda is among the world's 30 high-burden TB countries, with an estimated 94,000 to 96,000 people developing the disease annually.

The disease causes over 10,000 deaths annually, largely driven by a 40 percent HIV co-infection rate.

Globally, approximately 1.25 million people died from TB in 2023, according to the World Health Organisation (WHO).

In Mbarara, Arinaitwe said the TB death toll rose as high as 9% in Kagongi Health Centre III in Kashari sub-county and 11% in Bwizibwera Health Centre IV.

​A death audit conducted last September showed that most of the patients went to seek treatment when the disease had progressed to the late stages.

“Men have poor health-seeking behaviour. As such, they report to health facilities for treatment when their health condition has deteriorated, as opposed to women, who come early,” said Arinaitwe.

Those who succumbed to TB​ had been battling other co-infections such as HIV and malnutrition, which made it difficult for them to recover despite being given treatment.

“If we had detected the disease early, the treatment would have been effective,” said Arinaitwe, during a meeting of Uganda AIDS Commission officials and the Mbarara district team.

The engagement was part of activities to mark a five-day oversight visit to the Ankole sub-region aimed at assessing the implementation of HIV prevention, treatment, and care services.  

On Tuesday, ​Uganda held the national tuberculosis and leprosy commemorations under the theme 'Yes, we can end TB in Uganda: community-led, community-owned' in Nwoya district.

Dr Henry Luzze, the programme managing officer for TB and leprosy at the Ministry of Health, said the commemoration aimed at raising more awareness so as to detect more TB and leprosy patients.