Medic decries rising TB cases among inmates in police cells
TB - a respiratory disease that is preventable and treatable yet kills more than 1.4 million people every year - is chronically underfunded, with diagnosis and treatment failing to reach millions.
What you need to know:
- Trend. TB remains the world’s deadliest infectious killer. Uganda is one of the 30 World Health Organisation designated countries with a high burden of TB/HIV. In 2019, the estimated incidence rate for TB was 200 per 100,000 population and the mortality rate was 35 per 100,000 population.
Cases of tuberculosis (TB) are on the increase among suspects being held in police cells around the city, a medic has revealed.
The in-charge of Nsambya Police Barracks Clinic, Ms Monica Namara, said the rise in the TB infections among the suspects has increased by 10 percent, a development she said is worrying.
“When we say TB is on the rise here, is after we collect samples from police cells around Kampala Metropolitan area with some being referred here for testing. Of the samples that we examine, we have noticed an increase, I think because of Covid having similar symptoms of TB,” Ms Namara revealed at the weekend.
“People fear to come out not to be judged for Covid; they keep at home so by the time they come for testing, the TB is already there. So there is a need to create awareness about the rise in TB cases which is about 10 percent positivity on weekly basis,” she added.
TB is a potentially serious infectious bacterial disease that mainly affects the lungs. The bacteria that cause TB are spread when an infected person coughs or sneezes.
Ms Namara was speaking on the sidelines of the reopening of a refurbished laboratory of Nsambya Police Barracks clinic.
During the function, clinic officials revealed that 85 percent of their patients are civilians from the neighbourhood.
Dr Olivia Byogero, an assistant commissioner of police, said: “This partnership is going to help us grow our laboratory service. When you look at our numbers, we see a lot of civilians, 85 percent of them are our patients from the police neighbourhood coming for our services.”
Describing the facility as a “comprehensive laboratory,” Dr Byogero revealed that they carry out various tests such as chemistry analysis, TB, HIV, malaria, Covid, and others.
Speaking at the same event, Mr Allan Saasi Turinawe, the manager-in-charge of learning and training at Platinum Credit Ltd, which sponsored the refurbishment said in this era of Covid-19 and other epidemics, it’s important to have up to date laboratory facilities to carryout tests.
