Dear Christine
Thanks for the efforts.
This is certainly a wakeup call and as I read through your mail, I feel your
concern and the frustration in trying to move a noble cause for our people.
The burden of hepatitis in WestNile is real. Many have probably lost or has a
close relative/ friend suffering from the disease. I lost two colleagues
recently from my former workplace in Kuluva hosp.
The whole problem requires a systematic approach involving the local leaders
from the region and the technocrats. Individual and small group efforts has
often times ended up overwhelming to the initiators and frustrating as well. I
remember in April 2012, we organized a cancer cervix and hepatitis B screening
exercise in Arua, under the West Nile Forum for Health and Development
(WEFHAD). The intention was to sensitize and promote early screening but the
turn up was so big and overwhelming. We were also not prepared for the further
care for those who tested positive for Hep B.
The situation of hepatitis is worrying. people need to be sensitized and
screened so that those found with the disease are referred for appropriate
care. We should not relent on the vaccination drive as this may prove to be the
long term solution to the problem.
I will love to join in these efforts where possible. Please let me know when
the next meeting is
Regards,
Aldo
On Thursday, 22 May 2014, 12:03, Christine Munduru <[email protected]> wrote:
Dear members, I hope this finds you well. With concern, I note the death of our
former youth MP for Northern Uganda due to Hepatitis B, my condolences and may
his soul rest in peace. Those of us who were on campus in politics at the time
the first youth MPs were elected remember him well.
His death is one of those many lives we are losing due to Hepatitis B in the
region. Last month, we lost a PhD student of Makerere University due to the
same disease. How many have we lost that are not even heard of? These have
caused a hole in my heart and made me write this email.The most painful thing
is this disease is preventable and has a vaccine which is not accessible. Even
a mere information sheet is not available for people
Our main concern: The disease is most concentrated in Eastern, Northern and
West Nile in that order. Many lives are going.The disease is sexually
transmitted and other methods just like HIV but more infectious than HIV whose
national prevalence is 7% but Hep B is 10.3% and has not been given attention.
I want to state categorically clear here that this is not my job, i am
volunteering my time and resources because I am very concerned as a public
health person and I have no political ambitions as people have been alleging.
These are detractors and we should leave them alone.
I want to update you on how far we have moved, may be this can motivate some of
you to join the struggle.
1.We registered a formal concern to the Minister of Health as members of
Science cafe Uganda(Draecabo Charles, Okuti Richard and Munduru Christine).
This was well supported by West Nile Foundation, thanks to Ejiku and Caleb for
mobilizing the team and the individuals who supported.
2. we managed to push MoH to action and constituted a taskforce which sits
every wednesday at MoH chaired by commissioner clinical services
3. We officially launched the awareness campaign in West Nile(Arua) on 20th
December 2013.
4. we produced the first brochure for hepatitis B in Uganda which was printed
free by Aceku Stephen, launched by Minister of health in the person of dr.
Amandua Jacinto, commissioner clincal services in Arua.
5. We now have a draft strategy for Hepatitis B which is being finalized by
technical team.
6. Government finally made a committment in parliament and has earmaked some
funds for Hepatitis B campaign
7. 14 districts were chosen by the technical team to receive the first vaccines
that may soon arrive(about 4-5months time) in the country. The 14 districts
were purely chosen based on the prevalence of the disease got from the 2004
sero survey data.
8. there are about 36 doses of the vaccines currently lying in NMS and this was
agreed by the task force to be taken to West Nile where the awareness was first
launched but awaits some technical decisions to be taken
All these have happened because three of us with support of West Nile
Foundation have been pushing and if we pull out now, the way I see things in
MoH, all these may fall on the way. Even the available vaccines will expire in
NMS.
challenges
1. To date, the road map of how the vaccines will be delivered has not been
agreed by the technical team at MoH
2. No budget for Hepatitis B has been included in the next financial year of
MoH, meaning even if the vaccines come, MoH will say there are no funds to
deliver them and they may lie idle but with pressure, something can happen
3. Of late I have been the available person to attend the meetings, others have
got committments and when I am taken up, when I am taken up by my official job
duties, no representation from the region who is mainly pushing the issues and
nothing moves ahead.
what we can do
1. we need more people, especially technical people to attend the meetings
because discussions need people who are informed about the disease, can debate
from informed point. In the meetings, people also have their own interests to
push for so if ours not represented?
2. We need mass support behind the technical team to push for the issues as a
region
3.Both the technical team and advocacy body should push for the available
vaccines to be taken to the agreed districts. This will put government on
pressure as other regions will start demanding. If we dont do this, government
will go to sleep again, yet the fact is people are dying, govt is aware but
chooses otherwise.
I call upon all of us to be concerned and join the struggle. I would be happy
if West Nile Foundation as our bigger umbrella maintains the support and calls
a meeting to bring people on board to discuss this more for bigger actions
We also have West Nile Medical practitioners Association( am not sure if this
is the correct name but I know something close to this exists), can they join
the struggle and use their expertise to help their people and many others who
have the good will to join and save lives of our people.
Somebody was making a presentation to west Nilers and said 3 categories of
people "1.there are people who make things happen;2. there are those who see
how things happen 3. those who wonder how things happen" and he went ahead to
say West Nilers are the people who wonder how things happen. I am in category
no 1. Do you want to be as he has said? At first the three of us were told "who
are these West Nilers to think they can move MoH to act, we disproved them. If
you are a positive thinker, please join us but negative thinker hold on.
Sorry for the long email
Christine Munduru
_______________________________________________
WestNileNet mailing list
[email protected]
http://orion.kym.net/mailman/listinfo/westnilenet
WestNileNet is generously hosted by INFOCOM http://www.infocom.co.ug/
The above comments and data are owned by whoever posted them (including
attachments if any). The List's Host is not responsible for them in any way.
_______________________________________________
_______________________________________________
WestNileNet mailing list
[email protected]
http://orion.kym.net/mailman/listinfo/westnilenet
WestNileNet is generously hosted by INFOCOM http://www.infocom.co.ug/
The above comments and data are owned by whoever posted them (including
attachments if any). The List's Host is not responsible for them in any way.
_______________________________________________
