Residents flee island over leprosy scare

Residents on Buyiga Island in Mpigi District are fleeing the area for fear of catching the leprosy disease.
This follows information from local health teams indicating that two residents have contracted the disease.
Leprosy is a disease mainly caused by the bacteria called mycobacterium leprae that damages the skin and the peripheral nervous system.
Symptoms of the disease include light coloured or red skin patches with reduced sensation, skin nodules and muscle weakness, pain in the joints, among others.
According to Mr Yosam Nabongo, the chairperson Buyiga B Village, about 2000 people have fled the island in the past two years over fear of catching the disease.
"After learning that two more people including Tadeo Lukooya and his close friend Robert Kanyankole had presented signs of leprosy, more residents have continued to flee this area, but we do not whether they are taking the disease where they are going,” he said in an interview on Monday.

Between 2016 and 2018 two islanders Paul Katongole and John Lukyamuzi succumbed to leprosy.
Mr Moses Waiswa, the chairperson Biyiga A Village said when they lost the two residents, some residents thought it was witchcraft but after medical experts revealed it was leprosy.
"At first our people thought it [leprosy] was witchcraft since it had killed two close friends one after the other with the same sign and symptoms but medics came up with a report indicating that it was a disease which if detected early can be treated,” he said.
He said the disease is also scaring away business people who have been going to the island for trade –something that may affect the local economy of the island.

Dr Charles Kaggwa, the central regional tuberculosis and leprosy supervisor, said they are aware of leprosy cases on Buyiga island  and preparations are under way to carry out general health camps in the area to identify all the affected persons to get them started on treatment.  
“Leprosy is curable and once one tests positive, medication takes one year,” he said

Victim speaks out

Mr Tadeo Lukooya, one of the leprosy victims on the island , said he started getting small  itchy pimples and simple rashes in 2018 which later  grew bigger .

“When I visited a health  facility I was given some  simple medication and was told that they will disappear , but this wasn’t the case , the rashes spreading all over my body and I was advised to visited Mpigi Health Centre IV where I met Dr Charles Kaggwa who dialogized me   with leprosy and later put me on  the right medication.
In many leprosy victims, Dr Kaggwa said visible symptoms manifest after five to 10 years .
"We are already carrying out vaccination among children to ensure that we completely kick out the disease,” he said