Concern as TB wreaks havoc in Maracha schools
People enter a mobile clinic at the Health Ministry headquarters in Kampala on September 1, 2024 to undergo TB screening.PHOTO/TONNY ABET
What you need to know:
- Despite being preventable and curable, the disease kills 1.5 million people annually, making it the world’s deadliest infectious disease.
A visit to the tuberculosis (TB) wards in Maracha and Arua regional referral hospitals reveals a grim reality; children coughing persistently, struggling to breathe, and wailing in pain.
Access to these wards is restricted, with visitors required to wear protective gear due to the disease’s highly contagious nature. Many of the children admitted reportedly contracted TB at school or at home.
As of last month, Maracha District had registered 118 TB cases among pupils across various schools.
“There’s a lack of awareness among learners and low health-seeking behaviour in the community,” said Dr Paul Onzubo, the Maracha District Health Officer.
“Many fear taking patients to hospitals, thinking TB is expensive to treat. Poverty also plays a role,” he added.
Dr Onzubo said some schools had worrying case numbers, with one recording 26 infections, although he declined to name it. He, however added that infected children in the wards often appear pale and weak.
Health report Nationally, a 2024 Ministry of Health report shows that children aged 0–14 account for 12 percent (about 10,704) of TB cases, slightly below the national target of 15 percent.
However, West Nile Sub-region, which includes Maracha, shows a higher prevalence rate of 16 percent among children. “The key is early identification and screening,” said Dr Onzubo.
“Once we confirm a child is positive, we trace and test their close contacts,” he added. Efforts are underway to raise awareness in communities.
However, Dr Onzubo noted that mobile parents, who frequently cross borders into the DRC and South Sudan in search of fertile farmland, make follow-up and treatment adherence difficult. Health workers themselves are not spared. “Some have been infected on duty,” he said.
At Kololo Primary School in Tara Sub-county, head teacher Vasco Atiku expressed concern over growing stigma. “Some learners are skipping school for fear of getting TB,” he said. “We’ve registered nine cases, and while many are now willing to get tested, we still need preventive support,” he added. The school now discusses TB during every assembly.
In the surrounding community, 19 cases have been identified—10 among adults and nine in pupils, according to Dr Alex Odama Alidria, the regional TB and leprosy supervisor. He stressed the need for structured, class-by-class screening to effectively monitor the situation. Intervention gap Controlling TB in schools is especially difficult due to how easily children socialise, he added. The sub-region has long struggled with TB.
In 2018, national TB Day celebrations in Arua highlighted West Nile as a high-burden area. Dr Charles Olaro, the director of medical services at the Ministry of Health, noted that half of the 1,600 people screened in Rhino Camp that year were suspected TB cases. According to the World Health Organisation, TB spreads through the air when an infected person coughs, sneezes, or spits.
Background
Despite being preventable and curable, the disease kills 1.5 million people annually, making it the world’s deadliest infectious disease.
TB is also the leading cause of death among people living with HIV/Aids. WHO warns that people with compromised immune systems, such as those living with HIV, diabetes, or who use tobacco, have a higher risk of developing active TB.
