On Saturday 24th March, Doctors with Africa Cuamm celebrated the World TB day also in Uganda, attending the national celebration in Arua district, and holding a special event in Napak district. The theme of the day was “Leaders for a TB-Free Uganda”, with the slogan “Act to end TB today”.
Peter Lochoro, country manager of Doctors with Africa Cuamm in Uganda, met in Arua the Ugandan minister for health Sarah Opendi, together with the members of other important organizations working on TB projects in the country.
During the public event, used to educate the participants through plays and messages about Tuberculosis, Peter Lochoro made a speech, emphasizing that:
“Uganda is still missing 40,829 people with TB annually and each of these people is estimated to spread TB to 10/15 people. The 39% of TB patients in the country is not seeking care, moreover: the 90% of patients with TB symptoms who visit the health facilities are not being screened for TB. Therefore, as partner involved against TB, we pledge to support the new TB Strategic Plan for the country. We need to support TB in a systemic way, starting from leadership and governance, service availability and readiness, community services and facility linkages”.
Iriiri, 24 March 2018 – Doctors with Africa Cuamm team in Napak with the invited district officials.
On the same day, a team of Doctors with Africa Cuamm held a TB day commemoration in Iriiri sub-county, in Napak district. It was a colorful event, open to the community, with performance from local artists and drama groups of peer mothers of Iriiri and expert clients from Matany. All these performances, as in Arua, carried the TB message under the day’s theme “Leaders for a TB free Uganda”.
Different district officials attended to the event, among which Regina Naruoth the Assistant District Health Officer, Nahaman Ojwe the Resident District Commissioner of Napak and a good number of people from the community of Iriiri and the nearby villages.
In the evening, CUAMM gathered three TB expert in the studios of “UBC – Totore Radio”, for a one-hour radio talk show to create TB awareness among the community. Symptoms of TB, testing for TB, treatment issues, prevention and control were just few of the talking points faced during the discussion, spreading the message “Act to end TB today”.
Iriiri, 24 March 2018 – The peer mothers of Iriiri explaining their message after acting a skip on TB treatment awareness.
