Over 1,000 people test positive for TB in Jinja

A total of 1,287 people in Jinja District have been diagnosed with tuberculosis. The district tuberculosis/leprosy control supervisor, Mr Bernard Mugabi, last Thursday told the media that the number of patients puts the case detection rate for TB in Jinja at 82 per cent which is higher than the 70 per cent national figure.

Mr Mugabi said the men are the most affected with 724 of them having TB compared to 563 female according to the latest survey conducted at Jinja Referral Hospital.

He said lack of information about the availability of TB drugs and refusal by some people to go to hospital for testing is the major cause of the big number of TB patients in the district.

The high prevalence is also associated with oversmoking and heavy consumption of alcohol. “TB drugs are available at health centre IIIs and IVs but people do not utilise them. Some people completely refuse to go to hospitals for testing even when they have persistent cough which is always associated with TB,’’ Mr Mugabi said.

He said the district has embarked on the registration of all TB patients and offering homecare treatment to those infected as a way of intensifying the fight against the scourge.

He called for proper use of drugs, testing for TB in health centres and residing in well ventilated houses as part of the solution to reduce the infection.