Mpox: Kasese district lacking funds for response activities
Kasese, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Kasese District Health Department lacks funds to facilitate the response activities against the Mpox disease.
This comes at a time when Uganda has registered more than 200 cases since the first case was reported in July 2024., according to the World Health Organization Mpox situational update dated 28th October 2024.
Kasese District alone has recorded at least eight positive Mpox cases since July.
Presenting a disease status report during the Kasese district task force meeting on Tuesday, Arafat Bwambale, the District Surveillance Focal Person said that despite the threat of the disease in the district, screening methods used by health personnel at the border entry point are still insufficient while they lack fund to conduct routine awareness campaigns.
He also told the task force members, that the inadequacy of funds hinders the process of facilitating the welfare of patients who are admitted at the isolation centre as well as the health workers who are supporting case management.
Kasese District Health Officer, Dr Amon Bwambale says that although he is pleased with how the health department was responding to the identified cases, he noted the need to facilitate health workers that are on the frontline. He noted that some of the issues are featured in a report to be presented to the Ministry of Health for consideration.
Kasese Deputy Resident District Commissioner in charge of Busongora County, Zepher Mubingwa, encouraged the department to maintain its level of vigilance and surveillance so that the disease is completely eradicated from the district.
According to WHO, the common symptoms of m-pox are a skin rash or mucosal lesions which can last 2–4 weeks accompanied by fever, headache, muscle aches, back pain, low energy and swollen lymph nodes.
Mpox can be transmitted through close contact with someone who has mpox, with contaminated materials, or with infected animals.
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