The rate of Hepatitis E infection has tremendously reduced in Kaabong district with few or no new case registered in a week.
Dr. James Kisambu, the Kaabong District Health Officer told Uganda Radio Network on Friday that the Hepatitis E virus that caused havoc in the district two years ago has greatly reduced.
He says they now register only one or no new infection in a week unlike in the recent past when they would register a minimum of at least 15 new cases weekly. He said they have registered only 4 cases this month.
He said the last death case registered was in September last year bringing to 32, the total number of people who died of the virus since its outbreak in the district in 2010. Dr. Kisambu says a total of more than 3,000 cases have been registered.
He attributes the decrease in the rate of infection to the dry season saying the rivers and other sources of unsafe drinking water that were the major causes of the infection have dried up.
He also said that together with development partners, the district health department intensively engaged in comprehensive radio sensitization programs through the local FM radio stations in the region and village to village sensitization programs to curtail the spread of the virus.
The sensitization focused on health promotion of latrine usage and safe drinking water among others.
The DHO however noted that personal hygiene among residents in Kaabong is still too poor saying the pit latrine coverage in the district stands at 16% against the national coverage of 71% while the water coverage is at 42%.
He asked the Ministry of Health and other partners to consolidate the fight against the virus to sustain the situation.
Hepatitis E is a serious liver disease caused by Hepatitis E virus (HEV) and its epidemics are due to drinking contaminated water. It presents with fever, swelling of the stomach, body weakness and diarrhea among others.
