Trachoma Elimination Strategy re-launched in Karamoja Region

Some of the women that received treatment.

What you need to know:

A strategy approved by World Health Organization (WHO) to eventually eliminate Trachoma, said the NTD Program Manager at the Ministry of Health Dr Edridah Muheki

Nakapiripirit.

Trachoma is the second leading cause of blindness in Uganda and the Karamoja region has the highest number of people at risk of going blind due to Trachoma, if nothing done.

Michaela Kelly the Grant Manager of The Queen Elizabeth Diamond Jubilee Trust-Trachoma Elimination Program a consortium with the task of eliminating Trachoma from Uganda revealed this on Thursday at the World Sight Day celebrations held at Nabilatuk sub-county in Nakapiripirit district with the aim of rebooting the fight against Trachoma in Karamoja region.

The Queen Elizabeth Diamond Jubilee Trust was set up in March 2014 to commemorate Queen Elizabeth II’s Diamond Jubilee by leaving a lasting legacy in Commonwealth states. The Trust-Trachoma Program is a 5 year Project worth over 40 million pound which will eliminate Trachoma in over 6 counties in Africa, Uganda inclusive. The consortium has The Carter Center as the Coordinating Partner, Christian Blind Mission (CBM) and Sightsavers as Implementing Partners for the Surgery component, while Water Missions and Water Aid are face washing and Environmental Hygiene Partners and the Lions of Uganda who are tasked with aspects of mobilization and advocacy.

While addressing the media, Ms Kelly said over 28,000 patient have so far been saved from blinding Trachoma in Uganda and there has been lots of progress in Uganda. So instead of the original goal of reducing the cases of blinding trachoma significantly in Busoga and Karamoja regions. The Trust now plans to eliminate Trachoma from Uganda.

However despite this progress, there are still lots of work to do in Karamoja region. This is because 90% of the estimate blinding Trachoma cases are in Karamoja region, noted Dr Michael Kakinda from Lions Clubs of Uganda one of the consortium members.

“Karamoja still needs a serious attention to rescue people from trachoma because the situation is still bad, “he said.

Therefore the Ministry of Health did see the need to re-launch the SAFE strategy. SAFE this stands for S-Surgery, A-Antibiotics, F-Facial Washing and E-Environmental Hygiene.
A strategy approved by World Health Organization (WHO) to eventually eliminate Trachoma, said the NTD Program Manager at the Ministry of Health Dr Edridah Muheki.

Dr. John Anguzu the district health director of Nakapiripirit attributed high prevalence of trachoma in the region to poor hygiene and poor access to clean water adding that the majority of locals still share water sources with animals.

He said Nakapiripirit district with population of 189,901 people with
29,218 households only 9,174 (31.4% have pit latrines at their homes the rest answer the call of nature in the bushes.

He added that so far 2385 people have gone through blinding saving surgery against Trachoma leaving a backlog of 232 people to eliminate Trachoma from Nakapiripirit.

“We are trying our level best to fight trachoma but the main challenge is poor hygiene, so we need to sensitize the communities about proper hygiene and sanitation, “he said.

The minister in charge of Karamoja affairs Mr. John Byabagambi the chief guest at the event called upon development partners in the region to join the fight to end trachoma in the region and he also pledged full support.

He said the government is not happy seeing its citizens getting blind as if it can’t able to fight the disease.

“District leaders can we get out of those cool offices and we do senzitisation in the community to promote hygiene,” he said.