• Latest
Experts Meet to Intesify Efforts Against Cross Border Transmission of River Blindness

Experts Meet to Intesify Efforts Against Cross Border Transmission of River Blindness

7 years ago
UBOS Partners with Bunyoro-Kitara & Bugisu to Strengthen Data Systems

UBOS Partners with Bunyoro-Kitara & Bugisu to Strengthen Data Systems

35 minutes ago
Museveni Credits NRM for Peace and Development Growth in Nwoya

Museveni Credits NRM for Peace and Development Growth in Nwoya

3 hours ago
Museveni Pledges Special Consideration for Acholi in Revised Cattle Compensation Program

Museveni Pledges Special Consideration for Acholi in Revised Cattle Compensation Program

3 hours ago
From Pioneers to GenZs: UMS to Celebrate ‘The G.O.A.T’ of Uganda Marketing at 2025 Fireplace

From Pioneers to GenZs: UMS to Celebrate ‘The G.O.A.T’ of Uganda Marketing at 2025 Fireplace

17 hours ago
MTN Commissions Arua City Roundabout Tower

MTN Commissions Arua City Roundabout Tower

19 hours ago
Tumwebaze Hails Coffee Park as Game-Changer, Tugume Eyes Global Coffee Tourism

Tumwebaze Hails Coffee Park as Game-Changer, Tugume Eyes Global Coffee Tourism

20 hours ago
SoftPower News
Wednesday, October 22, 2025
  • News
  • Tourism & Travel
  • Business
  • Lifestyle
    • Fashion
  • Regional
    • Kenya
    • Rwanda
    • Tanzania
    • Burundi
    • South Sudan
    • DR Congo
  • Defence & Security
  • Sport
  • Entertainment
  • More
    • Agriculture
    • Africa
    • Columnists
    • Education
    • Health
      • COVID-19
    • International News
    • News in Pictures
    • OpEd
    • Pearl Of Africa
    • People
    • Politics
    • Special Reports
    • Women
No Result
View All Result
  • News
  • Tourism & Travel
  • Business
  • Lifestyle
    • Fashion
  • Regional
    • Kenya
    • Rwanda
    • Tanzania
    • Burundi
    • South Sudan
    • DR Congo
  • Defence & Security
  • Sport
  • Entertainment
  • More
    • Agriculture
    • Africa
    • Columnists
    • Education
    • Health
      • COVID-19
    • International News
    • News in Pictures
    • OpEd
    • Pearl Of Africa
    • People
    • Politics
    • Special Reports
    • Women
No Result
View All Result
SoftPower News
No Result
View All Result
Home Health

Experts Meet to Intesify Efforts Against Cross Border Transmission of River Blindness

by Brian Asiimwe
August 8, 2018
Experts Meet to Intesify Efforts Against Cross Border Transmission of River Blindness

Health Minister, Dr Ruth Aceng (2nd L), WHO's Uganda, Dr Yonas Woldemariam (R) and other experts during the forum.

6
VIEWS

Stakeholders within the health sector have called for intensified efforts in the fight against river blindness especially by eliminating the factors that facilitate cross border transmission.

On Tuesday, government through the Ministry of Health together with the Carter Center convened a meeting of the Uganda Onchocerciasis Elimination Expert Advisory Committee (UOEEAC) to take stock of the progress made in reducing the prevalence of onchocerciasis (river blindness) and what needs to be done to eliminate it.

Related Stories

From Pioneers to GenZs: UMS to Celebrate ‘The G.O.A.T’ of Uganda Marketing at 2025 Fireplace

Uganda Secures $2Bn in World Bank Financing as IMF Hails Nation as Africa’s Fastest-Growing Economy

Uganda–Qatar Business Forum Returns for Second Edition on 27th October

During the opening of the three-day forum at Sheraton Hotel, Minister for Health, Dr Jane Ruth Aceng said that while Uganda has registered success in stamping out Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs) such as Guinea Worm, there is still work to be done.

Seventeen (17) foci (centres of disease activity) were formerly reported to be endemic with River Blindness, where 39 districts have been undergoing mass treatment. But currently, 6 foci covering 18 districts have eliminated the disease and have stopped mass treatment, protecting a population of 1.9 million people.

“Transmission however remains a challenge in areas bordering South Sudan and DR Congo.The remaining districts are expected to have eliminated Onchocersiasis by 2020. That means we have to intensifiy our efforts to ensure that we meet the 2020 elimination goal,” Minister Aceng said.

She said that Bilharzia and swine transmitted ailments have seen significant reduction in prevalence but that the challnege is high reinfection rates due to inadequate sanitation especially in fishing villages.

“Cross border treatment and treatment of refugees is pertinent to our NTD elimination in Uganda”.

“The cross border collaboration of DRC and South Sudan has got tremendous political support and action plans have been made to this effect. We as a Ministry shall strengthen this collaboration even more,” she added.

Cross border collaboration with neighbors, DRC and South Sudan, has not been limited to NTDs but other dissuades including Viral Hemorrhagic Fevers like Ebola. The Minister revealed that Uganda which hosts over 1.4 million refugees, many of them from the two high risk countries is soon to begin treating communities in refugee settlements.

On his part, the representative from the Carter Centre proposes specialized interventions particularly targeting areas bordering DRC and South Sudan.

“Transmission is very active concentrated in two foci, one at the border with on DRC and South Sudan. Both of these foci have cross border transmission so we propose these areas be considered as special intervention zones requiring special plans,” he said.

Tuesday’s discussion brought together health consultants, officials from Ministry of Health, epidemiologists, District Health Officers (DHOs), Resident District Commissioners (RDCs) and vector control officers among others. A sizable number of delegates from DRC and South Sudan also attended.

The World Health Organization representative in Uganda, Dr Yonas Woldemariam who also attended the forum noted that Uganda is ahead of other countries in the region in line with full elimination of Onchocersiasis. He however said that transmission from other countries remains a threat in these efforts.

Dr Woldemariam said; “The ongoing transmissions in the DRC and South Sudan are to be considered seriously. Cross border transmission had been a threat to the eradication of Polio and Guinea worm elimination, and now is a threat for Ebola transmission”.

He called for cross border surveillance synchronization of interventions are critical in handling cross border disease treatment.

River blindness, is a disease caused by infection with the parasitic worm Onchocerca volvulus. Symptoms include severe itching, bumps under the skin, and blindness. It is the second-most common cause of blindness due to infection, after trachoma.

The parasite worm is spread by the bites of a black fly of the Simulium type. These flies live near rivers, hence the common name of the disease.

Tags: cross border transmissionDR CongoDRCNeglected Tropical DiseasesOnchocerciasisRiver blindnessSouth SudanUganda

Recent Stories

UBOS Partners with Bunyoro-Kitara & Bugisu to Strengthen Data Systems

Museveni Credits NRM for Peace and Development Growth in Nwoya

Museveni Pledges Special Consideration for Acholi in Revised Cattle Compensation Program

From Pioneers to GenZs: UMS to Celebrate ‘The G.O.A.T’ of Uganda Marketing at 2025 Fireplace

MTN Commissions Arua City Roundabout Tower

Tumwebaze Hails Coffee Park as Game-Changer, Tugume Eyes Global Coffee Tourism

SoftPower News Logo

SoftPower News is a subsidiary of SoftPower Communications LLC, a Ugandan digital media group. Keep posted of the latest from Uganda and East Africa.
Plot 4B Malcolm X, Kololo
P.O Box 1497, Kampala - Uganda
Tel: +256-392-001-701
Email: info@softpower.ug

This news site is licenced by Uganda Communications Commission (UCC)

ADVERTISEMENT
  • News
  • Tourism & Travel
  • Business
  • Lifestyle
  • Regional
  • Defence & Security
  • Sport
  • Entertainment
  • More

© SoftPower News

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password?

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In

Add New Playlist

error: Content is protected
No Result
View All Result
  • News
  • Tourism & Travel
  • Business
  • Lifestyle
    • Fashion
  • Regional
    • Kenya
    • Rwanda
    • Tanzania
    • Burundi
    • South Sudan
    • DR Congo
  • Defence & Security
  • Sport
  • Entertainment
  • More
    • Agriculture
    • Africa
    • Columnists
    • Education
    • Health
      • COVID-19
    • International News
    • News in Pictures
    • OpEd
    • Pearl Of Africa
    • People
    • Politics
    • Special Reports
    • Women

© SoftPower News

Are you sure want to unlock this post?
Unlock left : 0
Are you sure want to cancel subscription?