Medical professionals and experts convened in a two-day Tuberculosis and Leprosy Summit in Kampala to tackle the challenges posed by these diseases and devise effective strategies.

Dr. Charles Olaro, the Director of Clinical Services at the Ministry of Health, stressed the urgency of addressing tuberculosis (TB), highlighting its current toll surpassing malaria in Uganda in terms of lives lost.

Dr. Olaro emphasized the need for immediate interventions to curb TB-related morbidity and mortality rates among Ugandans.

He spotlighted the Ministry’s innovative Community Awareness Screening Testing and Prevention (CAST) initiative, employing mobile vans for community screenings, resulting in a notable increase of over 30 percent in TB notifications.

Echoing the success of the CAST approach, Dr. Stavia Turyahabwe, the Assistant Commissioner for TB and Leprosy at the Ministry of Health, disclosed that over 94,000 Ugandans were diagnosed with TB in 2022 through this initiative, addressing the gap in disease detection. However, she mentioned that the initiative’s impact on reducing TB prevalence is yet to be measured.

Efforts are underway to streamline TB treatment, with plans to shorten the duration from six to four months for children. Experts are also devising protocols to further reduce treatment duration to two months, particularly for mild cases among children.

Regarding leprosy, Dr. Stavia highlighted an increase in cases due to the CAST approach, with over 500 Ugandans diagnosed with active leprosy and commenced on medication.

Despite Uganda overcoming leprosy as a public health issue, attention towards the disease remains relatively low compared to other high-burden illnesses.

Uganda ranks among the 22 countries with the highest burden of TB, with an estimated incidence of 200 cases per 100,000. Collaborative efforts have led to significant strides in TB treatment, benefitting over 500,000 Ugandans since 2015.

Treatment success rates have notably improved from 72 per cent in 2015 to 88 per cent in 2022, underscoring the impact of ongoing interventions.