Anthony Bugembe
5 July 2009
Kampala — UGANDA has recorded a reduction in cases of river blindness over the last 15 years, a health official has said.
The national coordinator of the river blindness control programme, Dr. JB Rwakimari, said the prevalence rate had reduced from more than 70% in the 1990s to about 6% today.
Rwakimari said the disease is endemic in 27 districts and that more than 2.5 million people are at a risk of being infected, while over three million are already infected.
The disease is characterised by eye lesions which can lead to severe itching and blindness.
Rwakimari said in an interview that the Government was treating the communities and spraying rivers in affected districts.
"We treat people once a year and twice in some districts. This has been going on for the last 12 years," he said, adding that the target was to eliminate the disease by 2015.
River blindness is caused by a black fly, which breeds in fast flowing rivers and transmits the disease.
Blindness is the most incapacitating symptom of the disease which also causes a debilitating skin disease.
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