Tuberculosis (TB) Awareness in Uganda

The Executive Director of Kuboresha-Africa attending a aradio talk show at Mukono FM Radio during the CAST TB Campaign in September 2022. (Source: KAL Media & Advocacy Team).

Kuboresha-Africa Ltd an advocacy non profit started operations in Uganda in August 2021 with support from TASO (The AIDS Service Organization) as Second Principal Recipient under the Global Fund NFM 3 ( New Funding Model 3) through USTP ( Uganda Stop TB Partnership) a Sub Recipient of TASO. This makes Kuboresha-Africa a Sub – Sub Recipient in this current grant.

The current CRATHA-22 (Creating Awarenness on TB and HIV/AIDS) project implemented in Mukono Municipality has achieved tremendous results in a short term in the areas of conducting TB and TB/HIV awareness sessions, contact tracing of in households of index TB patient’s families, integration of TB and HIV services and ensuring that TB is made a priority in primary health care at all Sub national levels in Uganda.

The CRATHA-22 Senior educator conducting TB and TB/HIV awareness session at the ART Clinic in Mukono General Hospital.

The CAST TB Campaign

The Uganda Ministry of Health under the Minister Hon Jane Ruth Aceng, started a National Community Awareness, Screening,Testing, Prevention and Treatment of TB and Leprosy (CAST TB) Campaign, in a bid to end the national TB epidemic by 2030. This calls for nation-wide efforts to clean every village of TB disease, by finding every missing person with TB, having them tested and those found with TB putting them on treatment, supporting them to complete their treatment and providing preventive treatment to their eligible close/ household contacts.

Minister of Health, Ms Jane Aceng launches the CAST TB campaign as the Director of Health services Mr Henry Mwebesa observes on in Entebbe December 2021. Photo |KAL Media & Advocacy Team.

The CAST TB Campaign was launched in December 2021 with a 5 day campaign to reach every household in Uganda with TB awareness messages and to engage VHTs (Village Health Teams) to reach every household in their villages through a door to door approach to screen every person in Uganda for symptoms of TB disease.

This 5 day campaign is carried out every six months ( March & September) over the next 3-5 years to ensure that no one is left behind.

Kuboresha-Africa CRATHA-22 Project Staff conducting TB and TB/HIV awareness session at the Ante Natal Clinic of Mukono General Hospital.

The CRATHA-22 Project achieved tremendous results in a period of 4 months by improving case detection and through awareness sessions and working with the health facilities and VHTs to conduct contact tracing.

The CAST TB countrywide in the regions of Kampala, Wakiso, Lango Region, West Nile Region, South Central Region, Bukedi Region, Bugishu Region, Teso Region, Acholi Region, Busoga Region, North Central Region, Karamoja Region, Kigezi Region and Bunyoro Region.

Kuboresha-Africa is looking forward to strengthening collaboration with the National TB and Leprosy Division to participate in the CAST TB Campaign that has proved an innovative approach to finding TB cases.

CAST TB NATION-WIDE CAMPAIGN HIGHLIGHTS:

Kampala District

  • 9025 samples collected
  • 8917 samples tested (99%) 178 PBCs Positive (1.95%)
  • All linked into care
  • 7 RR cases all linked
  • 5 Leprosy suspects
  • 108 samples rejected (lack of/poor labelling), 48 samples error results

Wakiso District

  • 3416 samples collected
  • 3416 (98%) tested
  • 105 (3%) Positive bacteriologically +32 PCD
  • 100% linked to Care
  • 4 RR linked to Mulago
  • 67 samples rejected (poor labelling, poor sample)

CAST TB CAMPAIGN UPDATES

Other Key Achievements Registered

  • Campaign was embraced in the region by key stakeholders,
  • All health units participated
  • Key Stakeholder collaboration

Challenges Encountered

  • Frequent power cuts, for over 24 hours in some testing sites
  • Equipment breakdown, 9 modules not working
  • Some roads are impassable, especially in Buhweju district
  • Other Key Achievements Registered

▪  District based training were well attended to by the invited in most Districts ▪  Commodities and stationary was on ground in time

▪ The 16 modular Gene Exp machine at the JRRH off loaded sample to some District with challenges

▪ The regional IP provided full support at all hubs to       ensure that samples were transported and run in the machine

▪  Fuel totaling to 3000lrs was provided by the regional IP to run the generators at hubs ▪        Challenges Encountered▪     Break down Gene Exp machines

▪ Lack of power backs up to the 16 modular machine resulted in wastage of cartridges and off course poor performance ▪       Inadequate supply of sputum containers in most Districts

▪ Facilities at the islands did not participate as the budget could not allow

Remedies/ Recommendations

  • To avoid all these short coming, next time involve IPs and other stake holders in planning prior the implementation
  • Regular service of Gene expert machines should be taken into consideration
  • Since now its well known that every month of march and September CAST takes place IPs should have a budget to support some items to it a success
  • General assessment of commodities including      drug  should be done before implementation,