Uganda: Sleeping sickness

[Shiloh]

Source: http://www.newvision.co.ug/D/8/17/705745

Sleeping sickness worries Kaberamaido
Thursday, 31st December, 2009

By Dennis Ejupu
and Hesed Amuge

THE increasing cases of sleeping sickness in Kaberamaido district have alarmed health workers. According to the Lwala Hospital Medical Superintendent, Dr. Andrew Edyelu, 21 people have been hospitalised, following the outbreak of the disease in Otuboi and Alwa sub-counties.

Lwala Hospital, which was founded by missionaries, is the only centre that treats sleeping sickness in the Lango sub-region.

?We need support in terms of community outreach to screen patients,? said Sr. Betty Akello, the hospital matron, adding that admissions had increased to between three and four patients a day.

Edyelu, however, said they were expecting a back-up team from the Ministry of Health and also looking for possible support from the local health team members.

Akello noted that although the Government had supplied drugs, they needed a multi-pronged approach which includes treatment of animals, spraying of plants with insecticides and deploying of trap-nets.

Akello added that the Iteso, being a highly mobile community, makes the disease easily affect all age-groups
?Men take the animals for grazing in bushes, while women and children fetch water and collect firewood in the swamps where the flies live,? she observed.

Akello explained that while treatment is free, patients who do not have symptoms pay a fee to get screened.
The disease is curable, but if treatment is delayed, it could become chronic or fatal.

Sleeping sickness is caused by tsetse flies and it affects both humans and animals. In animals, the disease is called Nagana. The epidemic has been reported in Osikai, Omadira and Omorai villages in Opilitok.

 

[Shiloh]

Re: Uganda: Sleeping sickness

Source: http://www.monitor.co.ug/News/National/-/688334/908666/-/wy1j0j/-/

Sleeping sickness hits Kaberamaido
Posted Wednesday, April 28 2010 at 22:46

David Mafabi

Kaberamaido

Sleeping sickness has hit Kaberamaido District but residents still insist the disease is caused by witchcraft.

According to the nursing officer in charge of Lwala Hospital, Ms Stella Akello, at least 500 people have been infected and 35 died from the disease since its outbreak in 2004.

Ms Akello said between December 2009 and February this year, the hospital has had an upsurge of about 40 infections.
?We know that the disease is deadly, we advise people to come to the hospital,? she said.

Ms Akello said most residents do not want to come to the hospital when they fall sick from the disease. ?They don?t want to come to the hospital and some have died in villages without our knowledge. Even these ones who are here were forced to come,? she said.

The medical superintendant, Dr Andrew Edielu, said sleeping sickness affects humans and animals.
He said the disease is caused by an organism called Trypanosoma brucei and is transmitted by tsetse flies.

He said an infected person suffers from fever, headache and joint pains.
?If untreated, the disease slowly overcomes the defence mechanism of the infected person.?

Mr Edielu said confusion, convulsions, disturbed sleep and fatigue are also signs of the disease. Ms Akello said studies carried out in the sub-region indicate that about 68 per cent of the people infected by the disease believe it is caused by witchcraft and that intensive sensitisation on its causes needs to be done.
A resident, Mr David Engicu, said an elder, one Mr Girado Oyu told him he was bewitched after he presented signs of the disease.

?The look on his face left no doubt that I had been bewitched, so I started consulting traditional healers. I moved from one place to another but they all offered me herbs which never healed me. I continued having headache and convulsions,? says Mr Engicu.

While launching the hospital as a screening and treatment centre for the disease on April 14, the Minister of Health, Dr Stephen Mallinga, told community health teams to sensitise residents about the disease by using those who have been cured as examples.

?Go deep in the villages and help them change the attitude,? said Dr. Mallinga.
The Minister of State for Agriculture, Mr Bright Rwamirama, said: ?Currently 70 per cent of Uganda is infested by tsetse flies and prevalence of up to 40 per cent has been recorded in some areas.?