Concern as Jinja surpasses 2024 TB projection
A laboratory attendant arranges samples of TB tests at Mulago National Referral Hospital. Diagnosing the disease is still a challenge in the country. Photo by Rachel Mabala
What you need to know:
- A recent national prevalence survey conducted by the WHO to estimate the prevalence of bacteriologically confirmed pulmonary TB in the country, discovered that TB prevalence in Busoga was high.
Authorities in Jinja have named Kikaramoja Village in Walukuba-Masese Division, Kamwanyi and Mafubira, both in Jinja City Northern Division as hotspots with high incidences of Tuberculosis (TB).
Residents in the aforementioned areas are known for their high consumption of malwa, a local brew, which requires people to sit together and suck from the same pot and tube. TB is the fourth cause of death among communicable diseases in Uganda, according to the Ministry of Health.
The area TB and Leprosy Focal Person, Mr Richard Luvaluka, said the incidence is so worrying since “the Ministry of Health had given Jinja City a national target projection of 566 cases for 2024, but by the end of June, it had surpassed the figure by 2 cases, which indicates that there is a lot of TB in the City,” Mr Luvaluka said at the weekend.
He added: “The major factor leading to the increasing TB cases is stigma as most people think that when you are diagnosed with TB you have HIV/Aids.”
Earlier, the Kikalamoja Cell LC1 chairperson, Mr Peter Mwelu, said many individuals are reluctant to undergo TB screening due to the associated stigma and its association with HIV/Aids.
A national prevalence survey conducted by the World Health Organisation (WHO) to estimate the prevalence of bacteriologically confirmed pulmonary TB in the country, discovered that TB prevalence in Busoga was high.
The survey found that 16 percent of people who had developed TB were co-infected with HIV, and 28 percent were diagnosed with both HIV infection and TB disease, prompting Mr Luvaluka to urge locals to up the ante in the fight against TB in Jinja City.
Ms Barbra Nangobi, a resident of Buwaya in Budondo Sub-county, says she believes we can fight TB, and suggested that funds aimed at fighting the disease be sent directly to Community Based Organisations (CBOs).
“Most CBOs here are already on the ground; we are already established, and our work speaks for itself but lack enough funds to educate our people in the communities from where we operate,” she added.
Assistant Superintendent of Prisons Dr Mark Mugalu said the number of TB cases in prisons is “very high”, which he attributed to space constraints.
“We have limited space but the numbers, too, are many. We are overwhelmed every day because we keep getting numbers, but the prison walls are not expanding,” Dr Mugalu said.
Govt efforts
In 2023, the Ministry of Health encouraged slum dwellers in Jinja City to undergo TB screening to prevent the spread of the killer disease during a visit to targeted communities using a mobile TB van equipped with digital X-ray and genexpert machines.
Some of the targeted areas included Kikalamoja, Danida, Soweto, and Kibuga-Mbata, all slum areas health experts at the time said have contributed to the rising number of TB cases in Jinja City.
