Amidst jubilation, the residents of Itwara Focus, encompassing Kabarole and Kyenjojo districts, gathered on Tuesday, August 22, 2023, to commemorate a remarkable milestone of the eradication of river blindness from their communities.

The celebration is a product of an ambitious programme launched in the early 1990s to treat those suffering from river blindness within the community.

Over the years, the initiative escalated into a biannual treatment regimen, accompanied by river dosing.

Speaking during the celebration of elimination of river blindness in Itwala Focus at Kabende Primary School, the Country Representative for The Carter Center, Edridah Muheki, said through these efforts, the disease's transmission was successfully eliminated.

Muheki noted that river blindness could also lead to conditions like epilepsy.

She explained that the reason why the celebration took place at Kabende Primary School in Kabende  sub-county was because the community previously harbored the highest concentration of river blindness cases.

This particular area was one of the epicenters of the battle against river blindness, bearing the weight of a substantial number of affected individuals . 

James Katamanywa, senior vector control officer at the Ministry of Health, said Itwala Focus had 110,000 people affected by the disease.

National figures

Muheki said river blindness was eliminated in 36 districts out of the targeted 48 districts.

Dr. Stephen Kalyegira, District Health Officer for Kabarole, commended The Carter Center for supporting vIllage health teams in distribution of drugs, follow up and evaluation for any side effects . 

He also said the Carter Center trained health workers, vector control officers and catcher boys who used to catch the crabs, who were very crucial in reducing the incidence of the disease and reducing the crab population where the black flies would lay eggs.