Jonan     

The Ministry of Health has met with the officials from the Toro kingdom over tuberculosis and Leprosy.

The meeting which sought to find ways how the kingdom can help in disseminating information about the two diseases and how they can be prevented was attended by the kingdom ministers, kingdom county chiefs and clan leaders.

Margret Muhanga, the State minister for Health in charge of Primary Health care led the government delegation.
Ministry of Health officials led by the state minister in charge of primary health care, Magret Muhanga have today held an engagement with Toro Kingdom officials over measures that can be taken to end tuberculosis and leprosy in Uganda and Toro Kingdom.

The Ministry of Health believes institutions like Toro Kingdom cannot be left behind in the fight against killer diseases.

The records also from the Stop TB Partnership, an organization that seeks to increase awareness of the disease among the members of the public indicate that a total of 5500 cases of Tuberculosis are recorded annually in the Rwenzori region.
Records at Fort Portal Regional Referral Hospital as of October 2021, indicate a total of 366 cases of tuberculosis were recorded while 340 cases had already been recorded by January 2022.

The same records indicate that a total of 4827 cases of tuberculosis were recorded in the financial year 2020/2021 while 672 people were lost to follow-up for treatment. 32 people are said to die from the disease annually in the region. alone. 

The high burden of tuberculosis is reported in the districts of Kamwengye, Kitagwenda and in the greater Toro kingdom like Kasese and Bundibugyo districts.

Records from the Ministry of Health also indicate a gradual increase in the cases of leprosy, rising from 121 in 2017 to 581 in 2022.
22% of leprosy cases recorded in 2022 were children.

Steven Kiyingi Amooti, the kingdom Prime minister says the kingdom will work with the government to implement its different programs by encouraging people to engage in them.

Jonan