Government to roll out cholera vaccination

Government will roll out cholera vaccination to curb the spread of the disease in different parts of the country.
The Minister of Health, Dr. Jane Ruth Aceng reiterated plans to roll out the oral cholera vaccination following reports of an outbreak of the disease in parts of Kyotera and Bulambuli districts.

Dr. Aceng, who was responding to concerns raised by legislators during the Thursday, 19 July 2018 sitting, said that the exercise will start from eight districts which are cholera prone.

Robinah Ssentongo (DP, Kyotera district) said the outbreak of the epidemic has been worsened by absence of health services in the district. She noted that the most affected is Nangoma village where residents have to cross into Tanzania in search of health services.

“I have received reports that two children have died of cholera related symptoms and several others are suffering. Unfortunately, the Health Centre II has no medication,” said Ssentongo.

Alex Burundo (NRM, Bulambuli) reported that one person had died of cholera while 20 have been affected in Bulambuli district.
“We need government to increase the water sources in Bulambuli district and ensure the water is disinfected,” said Burundo.

Aceng said that the cholera vaccine has already been administered to refugees because they were affected by the disease at the time they entered the country.

“The vaccines are now coming and we shall be able to distribute to the rest of the districts,” said Aceng.
She however, urged residents in cholera prone districts to maintain good hygiene as the disease is caused by poor hygiene.

In a related development,  James Kaberuka (Kinkizi West, NRM) raised concern over the delay in construction of a health unit in Nyanga Sub County in Kinkizi West, Kanungu district.

Kaberuka said that absence of a health unit in the sub county has forced women and children to cross to the Congo to seek medical care.  He noted that the district leadership has continuously made an appeal to the Ministry of Health to intervene but in vain.

Aceng said that the Ministry has requested for a loan for construction of health centres in districts without the facilities.

“Our request for a loan is with the Ministry of Finance and we are yet to have an update on whether they have managed to secure the loan,” said Aceng.

She added that government has secured a loan which is yet to be approved by Parliament to upgrade 132 Health Centre II’s to Health Centre III’s over a period of four years.