Africa-Press – Uganda. At least 15 people in Uganda die from Tuberculosis (TB) every day, Dr Paul Isiko the Executive Director of Uganda Stop TB Partnership (USTP), has said.
“We all know that awareness in our communities about TB is still low, most people take this disease for granted yet it’s one of the deadliest diseases in the world. Therefore, we want everyone including government to prioritise TB the way they do to other diseases. Let everyone start taking TB as a serious disease,” he said while meeting stakeholders and support partners in the response to tuberculosis at Imperial Resort beach hotel in Entebbe on Thursday.
Dr Isiko added that there’s still low funding for TB awareness and treatment. “The funding need of TB in Uganda is between $37 million to $50 million per year; the global fund from USAID and UNICEF is 60 per cent of the total need and the government of Uganda only funds 9 per cent. Therefore, there’s a funding gap of 31 per cent which is enormous and that’s why we are calling upon everybody to make sure that tuberculosis is mainstreamed in every work that we do just as they have done for HIV and GBV. That’s the way to end tuberculosis in Uganda.”
He further stated that most of the people with TB are those aged between 15 and 44 years, people living with HIV, those with malnutrition, contacts of those who suffer from TB, people engaged in fishing, refugees, prisons, mining, and other congregate settings.
“Approximately 12 of every 100 cases of TB in Uganda are children aged less than 14, which is nearly a quarter of the TB cases in children who are not diagnosed. More than half of the TB-related deaths are among people living with HIV. However, TB is four times more common among men than in women,” he noted.
Tuberculosis (TB) is an infectious disease transmitted through the air through coughing, laughing, singing, talking. It mostly affects the lungs but can also affect any part of the body.
Signs and Symptoms of TB
Dr Isiko advised people to seek medical care at their nearest facility if they experience any of the following signs and symptoms of TB; cough for two or more weeks or on and off cough, prolonged fevers, night sweats, coughing blood (blood-stained sputum), and unexplained weight loss among others.
Clearing the myths about TB
TB is not caused by witchcraft.
TB cannot be treated through spiritual healing.
TB is not spread by touching or sharing bed linen.
TB is not caused by shaking hands, hugging, sharing cups, plates, forks, and spoons.
Treatment for TB
TB is curable if detected early and you adhere to treatment as prescribed by your health worker.
The duration of treatment for uncomplicated TB is 6 months with a daily dose.
TB can become resistant to treatment if you don’t test early or take the medicine correctly as prescribed by the health worker or you get exposed to someone with resistant TB.
The good news is that drug-resistant TB is curable.
What is the burden of TB in Uganda?
Uganda is one of the 30 World Health Organisation designated countries with a high burden of TB/HIV. In 2019, the estimated incidence rate for TB was 200 per 100,000 populations and the mortality rate was 35 per 100,000 populations.
TB remains the world’s deadliest infectious killer. Each day, more than 4,000 people lose their lives to TB, and on average 88000, people in Uganda fall ill with this preventable and curable disease every year.
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