Trachoma infections drop in Karamoja
A Clinical Officer, Sisto Lomonginexamines Itai Nakoru, a trochoma patient in Nakapiripirit District, Karamoja region recently. Courtesy photo
What you need to know:
- Trachoma is a disease of the eye caused by infection with the bacterium Chlamydia trachomatis.
- Just more than 200 million people live in trachoma endemic areas and are at risk of trachoma blindness.
Moroto. Trachoma infections in Karamoja sub-region have significantly dropped, district aurthorities and health officials have revealed.
According to Dr Patrick Sagati, the Amudat District health director, they have registered progress in the fight against trachoma as no new cases of infections have been registered this year apart from the old cases that the district is treating.
“We no longer receive new cases of trachoma infections from the communities because we have continued to sensitise and train village health teams on how to promote hygiene and sanitation,” Dr Sagati said.
Trachoma is the second leading cause of blindness in Uganda and Karamoja sub-region has the highest number of people at risk of going blind due to Trachoma.
According to district reports, the disease had affected nearly 25,000 people in the sub-region but most of these have since been treated.
The infection rate has reportedly come down following a number of interventions by Research Triangle Institute (RTI) and support from USAID. In Amudat District, which was most affected in the sub-region, more than 1,600 have been operated and some have regained their sight.
The Moroto district health director, Dr Abubaker Lubega, recently in an interview told Daily Monitor that: “In Moroto, the results are positive and I should say we have scored 99 per cent in the fight against trachoma but our fear is that without clean water it might take us back again.”
According to Dr Lubega, the latrine coverage in the district is still as low as 10 per cent, describing it as disaster.However, Dr Jeremiah Ngondi, Africa’s regional neglected tropical disease technical advisor to Research Triangle Institute, has called for joint support to eliminate trachoma in the country.
About trachoma
Trachoma is a disease of the eye caused by infection with the bacterium Chlamydia trachomatis. It is known to be a public health problem in 42 countries, and is responsible for the blindness or visual impairment of about 1.9 million people. Just more than 200 million people live in trachoma endemic areas and are at risk of trachoma blindness.
