Warom Felix Okello
1 November 2007
The deadly meningitis outbreak has now spread to four sub-counties within a month in Arua District. Health authorities are faced with a daunting task of stepping up health education and acquire supply of adequate vaccines and drugs to combat the prevalence of the disease.
There has been a sharp increase in the number of infections and deaths in the district. Since the outbreak was first reported on September 3, about 68 cases have been reported in various health centres with 19 deaths recorded.
But why is the meningitis outbreak still prevailing in the region and raging havoc to the community? It has been established that the outbreak is persisting in areas where massive vaccination has not been done. Adumi sub-county is one of the areas where the community missed vaccination.
The epidemic is mainly transmitted through inhalation of respiratory droplets and contact with other body secretions of an infected person, especially so in crowded places like nightclubs, churches and other social gatherings.
According to the Dictrict Director of Health Services, Dr Patrick Anguzu, several cases of infections were contracted by people who attended funeral for meningitis cases. Dr Anguzu attributes the prevalence of the disease to poor response of the community towards health education. He said despite intervention by health educators,
The community has paid a deaf ear to advice for its safety. "It seems communities do not agree when we tell them to refrain from having contacts with dead bodies and avoid congested places," Anguzu said. The affected counties are Arivu, Offaka, Logiri, Logiri, Pajulu, Arivu and now Adumi.
Laboratory tests on blood samples from infected persons indicate that the latest meningitis outbreak is that of sero-type A. The common symptoms of meningitis sero-type A include high fever, acute headache, stiff neck and the disease can kill infected persons within 48 hours if the patient is not treated.
Anguzu said most of the deaths occurred due to delay in seeking treatment. Due to the escalating poverty, many people can not afford to buy drugs and meet a medical bill. Medical workers have also expressed fear that they are prone to contracting the disease if they are not vaccinated.
"It is true that our major challenge is the vaccine shortage in the health centres to treat patients. So negotiations have been done with Medecins Sans Frontiers to help supply drugs and vaccines," Dr Anguzu said.
But enraged local leaders, led by Mr Luiji Candini, the District Secretary for Security said the medical response has come too late - after the entire Vurra County was skipped during the mass immunisation in March when the contagion first ravaged West Nile region.
The Medecins Sans Frontiers has intervened in delivering some emergency drugs to help contain the deadly disease. The epidemic outbreak early this year, drew the WHO's attention which airlifted about 150,000 doses of vaccines for mass immunisation in West Nile region. "Most of these people infected got it from having close contact with the dead bodies.
People should desist from such acts if we are to combat the disease," Anguzu said. At least 65 people died out of 830 people who contracted the disease between January and March this year. The community should stop the culture of delaying burial of meningitis victims which is usually done after two days). Since the symptoms of meningitis can be difficult to detect, it is vital that the community is made aware of the signs.
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