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Ensure you stay healthy as a pilgrim
As Martyrs’ Day celebrations draw close, thousands of pilgrims from within and neighbouring countries are expected to arrive at Namugongo to venerate the Uganda martyrs as is the custom
What you need to know:
- Apart from the expected body aches and injuries, pilgrims might also be affected by a number of illnesses, especially while at the shrines in Namugongo. The main responsibility therefore goes to each pilgrim to take care and look out for things that might affect their health. We give some tips here.
As Martyrs’ Day celebrations draw close, thousands of pilgrims from within and neighbouring countries are expected to arrive at Namugongo to venerate the Uganda martyrs as is the custom. About three million people are expected to attend the June 3, martyrs’ veneration at both the Anglican and Catholic shrines. Pilgrims usually start arriving at the site by May 23, according to Fr Richard Nnyombi, a member of the martyrs’ day organising committee from the Missionaries of Africa.
Mass gatherings such as this are often associated with morbidity from non-communicable diseases, accidents, and terrorist attacks, thus posing complex public health challenges. Like other places where people go as pilgrims, infrastructure, crowd density, weather, age, and sex determine the health risks.
Your health
The veneration of Uganda martyrs coincides with a time when Uganda has recently had a cholera outbreak in some parts of Kampala (Kalerwe), Mpigi, refugee settlement camps of Kyangwali in Hoima District and Kyaka II in Kyegegwa District early this month.
According to Dr Simon Mabike, a general practitioner at International Hospital Kampala, while on the pilgrimage, “Your risk of catching diseases that are acquired by consuming contaminated food and water increases. These diseases may include diarrhoea, cholera, Hepatitis A and typhoid fever which are highly contagious.”
Fr Richard Nnyombi, a member of the Martyrs’ Day organising committee, says there is no special treatment for pilgrims and, therefore, no designated comfortable sleeping places for them besides the mats that they find at stopovers. “All pilgrims are supposed to walk to the respective shrines and there should be no comfortable sleeping area or any kind of special treatment. As a pilgrim, pain and suffering are part of the experience,” he says.
Canned or bottled beverages from a trusted brand are the safest drinks. Carefully wiping the top of the can or bottle before drinking from it may help remove disease-causing agents. File photos
Insect repellent
This, however, increases your risk of catching mosquito-related fevers such as malaria, dengue fever, chikungunya and yellow fever although these may happen in the long run. It is advisable therefore to carry a mosquito repellent. Also, prevent insect bites by wearing long sleeves and long pants in light colours since darker clothes attract more mosquitoes than the lighter ones.
“Being in a crowded place as a pilgrim exposes you to upper respiratory tract infections such as flu and cough as well as tuberculosis, a condition caused by bacteria that usually attacks the lungs. It is transmitted from person-to-person when an infected person coughs the bacteria into the air. This bacterial illness also spreads through contaminated food and water or close contact with an infected person,” Dr Mabike warns.
Children
Children are a vulnerable group because their immune system is not fully developed so anything unhealthy, however slight, will affect their health. The elderly are also at a higher risk of getting travel-related infections because their immunity is not as strong. It usually weakens with age and it becomes hard for them to fight the diseases.
Human stampedes and heat-related illnesses often happen at such mass gatherings and injuries ranging from minor to severe may occur. This is the reason Uganda Red Cross and other healthcare service providers are in place to attend to minor traumatic injuries and medical complaints and in cases where referral is needed, ambulances will be available.
Treatment
According to Fr Nnyombi, several hospitals have always been there to offer medical assistance and like it has always been, scouts and girl-guides will be on the look out to identify people who may have health problems. “Rubaga and Nsambya Hospitals as well as Uganda Red Cross have always provided free first aid medical services for people in Namugongo. At the site, they usually handle minor cases while the more complicated ones are often referred,” he says.
Foods and drinks
Due to the overwhelming numbers, the church can neither provide safely cooked food for every pilgrim nor can it limit the number of food service providers. This gives room for many unhygienic and uncertified people to sell food and drinks to the hungry pilgrims.
Dr Mabike says, “Use only bottled water or water that has been boiled for drinking. Avoid ice cold drinks as the ice may have been made using unsafe water. Canned or bottled beverages from a trusted brand are the safest drinks. Carefully wiping the top of the can or bottle before drinking from it may help remove disease-causing agents.”
Many people storm the Namugongo place to have a good share of cheap pork. Be aware, however, that you are likely to suffer from food poisoning because the pork and other meats are usually half cooked and not hygienically handled.
“Avoid raw fruits and vegetables unless you peel or wash them yourself. Make sure not to buy foods from vendors except from a trusted one,” Dr Mabike warns.
Ensure that you buy your food from a trusted source.
Drinking holy water
On several occassions, pilgrims arriving at Namugongo have been warned against drinking unpurified ‘holy water’ from the man-made lake and spring wells at the Catholic and Anglican martyrs shrines.
The pilgrims who flock to Namugongo in millions every year to celebrate Uganda Martyrs Day on June 3, drink the unboiled water from the man-made lake at the Catholic shrine and the spring wells at the Anglican shrine with a belief that the water has powers to cure them from ailments. Others believe the water gives them some kind of protection from evil and that it also brings with it lots of blessings.
The toilets
The toilet facilities at Namugongo for the first few days are usually enough as the first lot of pilgrims arrive but with time, they become overwhelmed. Oftentimes there is open defecation and this exposes all the pilgrims to hygiene-related infections.
Olivia Nanyondo, (48) used to go to Namugongo every year until 2010. Her excuse besides the crowd and fear of being trodden on was about the inaccessible toilet facilities.
“The toilets were a problem the last time I went to Namugongo. One had to walk a long distance if they had to answer to nature’s calls. The toilets are dirty and by the time you return, your place is already taken or you are lost because of the crowds,” says Nanyondo.
“The toilets have always been a challenge to us, says Fr Richard Nnyombi, a member of the Martyrs’ Day organising committee, but since the pope’s visit, during the ‘yoyoota’ Namugongo drive, we were able to construct more toilets (about 100) but the numbers are usually overwhelming so the facilities are not enough for all. These are the things we hope to do better in future.”
Dr Simon Mabike, a general practitioner at International Hospital of Kampala, therefore, recommends that the organising committee provides mobile toilets to relieve the burden of those that already exist.
