Wakiso Dec 9, 2021
Civil Society Organizations advocating for ending TB in Uganda have rechoed the need to increase investment in TB response for affected communities to ease the burden of the disease in the country.
According to Dr. Paul Isiko Kawanguzi the Executive Director Uganda Stop TB Partnership, 53% of families affected by TB are spending a castrophic cost of 25% of their hustle income while treating and caring for T.B patients.
“There is need for active investment in T.B prevention programs which will see research development and expansion of point of care technologies to affected people improved.” Notes Dr. Isiko
He says the focus should be put on implementation of person centered approach that looks beyond medical factors and also addresses social – mental health and economic needs of TB affected persons.
Dr. Isiko made the remarks during the ongoing 4th Annual National TB and Leprosy Stakeholders Conference 2021 held at Imperial Resort Beach Hotel, Entebbe on Thursday.
While officiating at the conference, the minister of health Dr. Jane Ruth Aceng noted that much as Uganda has registered achievements over the financial year with a drop in TB infection rates of about 2.7%, there’s still a high burden of TB that must be responded to.
“It is in this respect that the ministry has developed two strategies including the CAST TB strategy which is Community Awareness, Screening, Testing and Treatment of cases that are detected. In this strategy, every six months, the VHTs move door to door and engage with families and screen them for TB. This strategy will help us detect cases that are within the communities and may not be detected unless they come to the facilities.” Said Dr. Aceng
The minister added “The second strategy is to enhance screening for all people who come to the health facilities with whatever illeness. Forexample when you come with either malaria or any other illeness, you are also screened for TB. It will help us detect TB that is silent among the people.
The 4th National TB and Leprosy Stakeholders Conference is running under the theme “Accelerating progress towards the 2022 United Nations high level meeting Tuberculosis targets in the COVID19 era”
