This year, the day would have been marked under the theme ‘It’s Time’. The spotlight this year is on urgently accelerating the TB response to save lives and end suffering.
The World Tuberculosis Day celebrations slated for March 24th in Lira district have been postponed.
Government
and health experts at Lira District health department decided the
celebrations are postponed after President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni
last week banned all public gatherings to avoid the spread of the Coronavirus
(COVID -19).
The day is an annual event observed on March 24th
with an objective of building public awareness about the global epidemic of
tuberculosis and efforts to eliminate the disease.
According to Dr. Edmond Acheka, the Assistant D.H.O in charge
Maternal and Child Health says the pronouncement on public gathering has
crippled the plan. He says the day might be celebrated later.
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Dr. Acheka explains that the district is struggling with the
multi-drug resistant TB, a reason why it was chosen to host the National
celebration with the aim of creating awareness.
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“Lira we have a high number of MDR- what we call multi- drug resistant, the TB which does not
respond to treatment and we have the other pulmonary tuberculosis and many of
these people are hiding among us and spreading this condition,” added Dr. Acheka.
