South Sudanese seeking TB, HIV/Aids treatment in Uganda
People line up to test for HIV recently. FILE PHOTO
What you need to know:
- This comes after their major health facilities such as Kajokeji General Hospital in Central Equatoria and Nimule General Hospital in Magwi County, Eastern Equatoria, lack drugs and basic equipment.
Hundreds of patients from South Sudan are now crossing into Uganda to access medical services, Daily Monitor has learnt.
The patients seek treatment for HIV/Aids, Tuberculosis and leprosy.
This comes after their major health facilities such as Kajokeji General Hospital in Central Equatoria and Nimule General Hospital in Magwi County, Eastern Equatoria, lack drugs and basic equipment.
Whereas there are only four health facilities marked to offer HIV/Aids services, Dr Saviour Clever Sekwat, the hospital director for Kajokeji County Hospital, said none of them can diagnose or treat TB, HIV/Aids and leprosy, noting that they refer the patients for treatment to Logoba Health Centre III in Moyo District.
“We have limited supplies of HIV testing kits and ARVs, no transport means to carry out TB and leprosy activities, no incentive for the staff,” Dr Sekwat said.
At Nimule General Hospital, health workers operate without an X-Ray machine.
Dr David Nyuma, the Medical Director at the hospital, said there is a low turn-up of TB patients.
“For our people to get better services there is a need to establish a functional laboratory with Microscope, GeneXpert Module 16, supply adequate TB and leprosy drugs,” Dr Nyuma said.
Mr George Vunya, the focal person for the Cross Border TB/HIV and Leprosy Control in Moyo District, said the district has been receiving TB/HIV and leprosy patients from South Sudan since 2018 with majority coming from Nimule, Kajokeji and Yei counties.
South Sudan nationals receive treatment from health facilities such as Dufele Health Centre III, Lefori Health Centre III, Logoba Health Centre III, and Moyo General Hospital, all located near the border with South Sudan.
On December 22, Ugandan and South Sudanese health officials converged for a joint inter-country TB/HIV and leprosy supervision programme in Nimule, South Sudan, and the findings indicated a low TB screening rate in the country.
The regional focal person for cross-border TB/HIV and leprosy control for West Nile, Dr Alex Odama Alidria, said despite the presence of a joint cross-border committee on TB/HIV and leprosy, it had switched focus on Covid-19 and measles.
“The committee recommended the need to have quarterly joint support supervision which should include integrated and comprehensive TB/HIV and leprosy training at the facility for at least three days,” Dr Odama said.
There are up to 112 TB diagnostic and treatment facilities across South Sudan but Dr Silvin Stephen, the focal point person for the National Tuberculosis, Leprosy and Buruli Ulcer Control Programme in the Ministry of Health of South Sudan, said majority are operating at the mercy of partners.
“Our key activities this year will be to improve the TB case detection rate, increase the treatment success rate, decrease the death among the TB and HIV/Aids co-infected patients, as well as continue to support TB infection control,” Dr Silvin said.
Before the outbreak of the civil war in the country in 2016, Kajo-keji County had one hospital, nine primary healthcare centres but only six remain to date.
