Dear Aldo, thanks for concern and showing up. In the strategy we are developing, all the angles of approaching the issue are there, I only mention the vaccination because it is a motivating factor and some are currently lying idle at NMS and these need to be taken down for thos who need. we went and sensitized people but they needed the service and the DHOs are finding it a problem to continue sensitizing when vaccines, care and support cannot be provided. It is a complex issue which needs all to be involved but this is not happening. I can only follow at national level because that is what I can do best at the moment and this needed to feed into some efforts on ground so that we have a chain of people working at various levels. The agreement with the DHOs was that they do the part on ground and we feed them with what is happening at national level but unfortunately, our colleague who had the email addresses lost them and we have not been able to communicate with them. If we initiated that discussion with them, they would be able to do something in my view and we would plan together. The meetings are every Wednesday at 2.30pm at MoH. Go to Dr. Amandua's office for direction because we keep shifting depending on number of people present. We have been informed that next Wednesday, the meetings may not be there because MoH has another event but I will keep you posted.
Thanks Christine On Fri, May 23, 2014 at 2:35 AM, burua aldo <[email protected]> wrote: > 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. > _______________________________________________ > >
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