Govt in mass treatment of hydrocoele, worms

Sep 14, 2012

The Ministry of Health has started mass treatment of hydrocoele, elephantiasis, trachoma and intestinal worms in 34 endemic districts of Eastern and Northern Uganda.

By Anne Mugisa                                   

The Ministry of Health has started mass treatment of hydrocoele, elephantiasis, trachoma and intestinal worms in 34 endemic districts of Eastern and Northern Uganda.

The diseases are part of the ailments classified under the "neglected tropical disease (NTD)" which severely impact individuals, families and communities and grossly reduce productivity.

They afflict poor rural communities and the World Health Organisation estimates that millions of Ugandans are afflicted by the diseases

The annual mass drug administration is being carried out both in schools and at village level to ensure that all members of the communities in the areas where these diseases are identified are covered.

The treatment for each of the diseases would treat and give protection for a year until the next administration at around the same time the next year.

The drug for Trachoma is donated by Pfizer, a US pharmaceutical company, to the Ministry of Health and its distribution is overseen by the Ministry of Health and officials from the International Trachoma Initiative (ITI). The drug Ivermectin for the treatment of hydrocoele and elephantiasis and Albenderzole for the intestinal worms are donated by Mercs Pharmaceuticals also a US company.

A team of health workers from the NTD Department of the Ministry of Health and representatives of ITI, travelled to Iganga and Kaliro Districts where part of the exercise was taking place.

The team worked with the health officers at the Districts and the Village Health teams to administer Ivermectin the drug used to stop lymphatic filariasis (hydrocoele and elephantiasis), Zithromax which treats Trachoma and Albenderzole for the intestinal worms. Ivermectin can be administered together with Albenderzole and they produce better results together but Zithromax has to be administered at least seven days after administration of Ivermectin.

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