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Uganda: 400 Die of Diarrhoeal Diseases Daily
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New Vision (Kampala)
11 April 2008
Posted to the web 14 April 2008
Juliet Waiswa and Aidah Nanyonyo
Kampala
OVER 400 people die of diarrhoeal-related diseases each day in Uganda, the assistant commissioner in charge of environmental health, Paul Luyima has said.
Luyima was opening a workshop to raise awareness on the need to intergrate sanitation issues in HIV/AIDS policies and programmes at Grand Imperial Hotel on Wednesday. He attributed the high diarrhoearl cases to improper sanitation and poor access to clean water.
He said such cases would be preventable if the Government focused on prevention measures and not just treatment.
"Poor sanitation is a major burden to the country but can be improved if it is integrated in all Government programmes," Luyima added.
He said unlike other health issues, sanitation is difficult to improve because it is related to behaviour change. "It is hard to change behaviuor," he noted.
Luyima said due to poor latrine coverage, Ssese Islands, West Nile region and Kampala have high incidences of diarrhoeal related diseases.
John Byarugaba, the Executive Director of Uganda Water and Sanitation Network, said most of the diarrhoeal opportunistic infections among people living with HIV/IDS are water borne and cause significant loss of man power, income and human suffering.
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"The immuno-compromised status of people living with HIV/AIDS renders them more susceptible to opportunistic infections including those related to water, sanitation and hygiene," Byarugaba said.
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