Efforts have been ramped up to combat the prevalence of the Mpox epidemic in the Busoga subregion. Health specialists have teamed up with Busoga media personalities to raise awareness about the transmission of this health threat.
Uganda confirmed its first Mpox cases on July 24, 2024, with two patients from Kasese district at Bwera Hospital. As of now, the cumulative total of confirmed cases since the outbreak stands at 22, with Busoga registering three cases.
During a multi-stakeholder engagement involving District Health Educators (DHEs), public health specialists, and journalists, strategies were outlined to manage the public health emergency.
The meeting, held at the USAID offices in Jinja city on Tuesday, September 24, 2024, was organized by USAID’s Uganda Health Activity (UHA) in collaboration with the Social and Behavior Change Activity (SBCV) of USAID. Stakeholders were trained on risk communication in response to the Mpox outbreak.
The aim was to increase community awareness and encourage the identification and reporting of suspicious lesions to the regional Public Health Emergency Operations Center (PHEOC).
Health personnel at Jinja Regional Referral Hospital (JRRH) reported that Mayuge district leads in disease transmission, with at least three confirmed cases. Special attention is being given to the rural district, which borders part of Lake Victoria.
Mr. Elijjah Kasadha, a public health specialist with UHA based at JRRH, emphasized that while Mpox is treatable, it can become severe, even fatal, particularly in children, pregnant women, and those with other health conditions such as HIV/AIDS or zoonotic diseases.
He said, “Anyone is at risk, especially people in close contact with Mpox patients, such as household members and sexual partners (including commercial sex workers), as well as those caring for patients without proper use of personal protective equipment (PPE).”
Laboratory attendants who do not use PPE correctly, along with children, pregnant women, individuals with weakened immune systems, and hunters, are at a higher risk of infection.
“People who have multiple or anonymous sexual partners, and those who hunt, kill, handle, butcher, or prepare animals such as squirrels, rats, mice, and monkeys, are also at risk of Mpox,” Dr. Kasadha explained, adding, “Even though some people may be more at risk than others, it’s important to remember that anyone, anywhere, can contract Mpox.”
Initially referred to as Monkeypox, this viral infection, closely related to Smallpox, has spread from neighboring Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) into Uganda.
Health experts note that the virus spreads through contact with wild animals such as monkeys, squirrels, and rats. It can also be transmitted from infected individuals through contact with clothing, breathing contaminated air, used sharps, kissing, and sexual intercourse, among other means.
Mpox does not have specific symptoms. Infected individuals may experience a skin rash, fever, sore throat, headache, body aches, back pain, fatigue, and swollen lymph nodes.
“This disease has no unique signs. These symptoms are common to many illnesses. Don’t be surprised if you visit a health facility and the doctor tells you that you have HIV,” Dr. Kasadha warned.
According to Dr. Kasadha, Mpox is difficult to diagnose because it resembles other infections such as chickenpox, measles, bacterial skin infections, scabies, herpes, syphilis, and other sexually transmitted diseases (STDs).
“Mpox can only be confirmed through laboratory testing,” he said. However, testing is currently only conducted at the Uganda Virus Research Institute (UVRI) in Entebbe. Dr. Anthony Kwiri, the Buyende District Health Educator, advocated for the decentralization of laboratories to facilitate regional testing.
To enhance the fight against Mpox, district health educators pledged to orient health facility in-charges, district councils, and religious leaders. They also plan to engage headteachers of primary and secondary schools in their respective districts to raise awareness.
These efforts will also include community engagement in schools, landing sites, slums, highways, military barracks, prisons, and taxi parks, among other areas.
Meanwhile, media personnel committed to educating their colleagues about the disease to ensure accurate and effective reporting.
Mpox remains a global health threat, with the World Health Organization (WHO) working tirelessly to develop a vaccine that will enable mass vaccination efforts.
