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KIKUUBE - The increasing disease burden on different landing sites on the shores of Lake Albert in Kikuube district have been blamed on poor sanitation amongst the community.

The Kikuube district Vice Chairman, Vicente Opio, said many people in the area suffer from diseases such as bilharzia, cholera and dysentery, yet such diseases are preventable.

He made the remarks on Wednesday (June 19, 2024) at a one-day free health camp organized by  the National Offshore Oil Corporation (CNOOC) in partnership with China medical team from China-Uganda Friendship Hospital Naguru to treat the people living at the shores of Lake Albert in Buhuka parish, Kyangwali Sub County in Kikuube district.

The camp targeted to treat over 1,500 people and during the medical camp, they diagnosed and treated illnesses like skin disease, sexually transmitted diseases, scabies, bilharzia, diarrhoea, diabetic wounds, ringworms and intestinal worms, and eye diseases.  

Most of the diseases are as a result of poor feeding, poor hygiene and sanitation. .

He noted that such diseases put a burden on the health facilities, yet they can be prevented at home and called on the dwellers of Lake Albert to prioritize the issue of promoting proper hygiene and sanitation as one way of avoiding preventable disease.

He commended CNOOC for the medical camp adding that the initiative is going to contribute to the government effort in promoting good health.

“Before CNOOC started operating in this area, life was hard because the area was not accessible due to lack of road, many mothers would die before going to health facilities because no motorcycle or vehicle would access the area but now the tarmac road was constructed in the area, water and sanitation in the area was also a challenge but this problem is reducing because of your (CNOOC) effort,” he said.

CNOOC officials led by CNOOC president Liu Xiangdongo hand over drugs to medics before they kicked off with the medical camp. (All Photos by Abaanabasazi)

He said that the Kikuube district health sector is facing several challenges such as inadequate health workers, medical equipment, and lack of staff quarters and structures adding that whenever the district gets a partner to support health services they welcome him with two hands.

He noted that when the communities are healthy, they are always able to engage in production and commanded CNOOC to promote good health, adding that health facilities in oil-rich areas such as Buhuka and Kaseta Health Centre III and Kyangwali Health Center IV are facing a lot of pressure as a result of increasing population due to oil and gas activities and appealed to oil companies and other development partners to have a strategy of supporting health facilities in theirs of operations.

David Agaroi, the Kikuube district Laboratory focal person, who represented the Kikuube District Health Officer commended CNOOC for the free medical camp, saying that such an initiative will help locals to have good health.

Liu Xiangdong, the President of CNOOC, said the camp was initiated after they discovered that many people on the shores of Lake Albert were suffering from different non-communicable diseases.

Wang Zianxun, counsellor of the Chinese embassy in Uganda said Uganda and China are enjoying good relations and this relationship is promoting development.