Chris Ocowuna
9 May 2008
Kampala — AT least 29 people have died of Hepatitis E and over 1,384 have contracted the virus in five sub-counties in Kitgum district, the LC5 chairman has said.
"We have registered 61 new cases in Madi-Opei, 29 in Agoro, 31 in Paluga, five in Mucwini and seven in Padibe. Four people died last week," John Komakech Ogwok said.
"Hepatitis E is more severe among pregnant mothers. It is transmitted through contaminated water and poor sanitation, just like cholera," the commissioner of health, Dr. Sam Okware, said.
The most common symptoms of the disease are jaundice (yellowness of the eyes) and fever.
The Ministry of Health, together with non-governmental organisations, the UN children's fund, the Uganda Red Cross and the World Health Organisation are working around the clock to combat the spread of the virus.
Red Cross launched a sanitation week in Madi, while other charities have built latrines and boreholes in the district to combat the disease.
Meanwhile, dealers of a local brew, kwete, have criticised the district for banning the sbeer, saying it was their sole source of income.
Be the first to Write a Comment!
Copyright © 2008 New Vision. All rights reserved. Distributed by AllAfrica Global Media (allAfrica.com). To contact the copyright holder directly for corrections — or for permission to republish or make other authorized use of this material, click here.
AllAfrica aggregates and indexes content from over 125 African news organizations, plus more than 200 other sources, who are responsible for their own reporting and views. Articles and commentaries that identify allAfrica.com as the publisher are produced or commissioned by AllAfrica.
