Cissy Makumbi
7 October 2008
Amuru — Amuru District has launched a programme to control 'Nelected Diseases' among the returning communities, the district health officer, Dr Patrick Olwedo Odong, has said.
Dr Olwedo said at the weekend that a recent survey, indicated that diseases like elephantiasis, river blindness, trachoma and bilharzia are very common in the district and need quick intervention.
The 'Neglected Diseases' are a group of tropical infections which are especially endemic in low-income populations in developing regions of Africa, Asia and the Americas.
Together, they cause an estimated 500,000 to 1 million deaths annually. Some of these diseases have known preventive measures or acute medical treatments which are available in the developed world but which are not universally available in poorer areas.
Dr Olwedo told Daily Monitor that the programme will run for five years and they are targeting the rural persons that have returned and those returning because they are the most affected.
He said the poor sanitation in the areas of return, places surrounded by the game park in the district help in spreading the diseases.
The logistic officer of the programme, Mr Richard Odokonyero said, "We shall be giving medicine to all the persons above five years of age, because the medicine is very strong to minors."
The programme is funded by Usaid and funds directed on the account of the health department in the district.
Mr Odokonyero noted that the drugs are very expensive and warned the health workers against abusing the programme.
"The drugs will be free in all the health centres. Health workers that will sell the medicines will face arrest and prosecution," he said.
He urged the leaders in the districts to sensitise the community and mobilise them oin case of outbreaks so that they can seek for medication in the health centres.
"In Omee village, a certain man lost his cattle because of nagana, but the victim said that it was witchcraft by the neighbours and he too committed suicide when he started falling sick," Mr Odokonyero said.
Amuru District RDC Edwin Komakech said the ministry of health should address problems of lack of qualified staff and equipments.
He urged World Health Organisation to intervene. "We have been left behind in the health sector, the war has affected us, and we do not want to die of the diseases that we can control," he added.
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