By Dramadri Federick.

Terego

Terego district leaders are blaming the high persistent malaria burden in the district to negative community attitudes towards health facilities with every sickness believed to be poison forcing them to first seek for the services of the witchdoctors. 

Most of the communities in the district were believed to have poison that can kill without segregation in terms of age, sex, race, religion which leaves a great memory among the general population within the district. According to the leaders, many communities in Terego still believe that the traditionally known poison is still in their midst, a reason they first rush to the traditional herbalists.

During a Malaria reduction activity planning meeting at the district it was discovered that due to the poor health seeking behavior, the district losses at least 2% of positively tested Malaria persons at the Outpatient department OPD due to late arrivals and the malaria positive cases stand at 78% of the district’s daily attendance at every health facility keeping the district in an epidemic mode, records from DHO reveal.

Augustine Vuni the councilor representing Odupi Sub County who doubles as the Chairperson Social Services says many communities are still having that traditional mentality of the existence of poison within the district forcing them to quit health services provided in the government facilities “Some people within the district including their leaders still believe that Poison is persistent in Terego district and therefore any slight sickness accompanied by fever is first tested traditionally for Poison by the witchdoctors which is very unfortunate” Vuni explained

The witchcraft Act, Cap 124 Section 3 on attribution of witchcraft states that, any person who other than to a person in authority, attributes the use of witchcraft to another, if any harm results to that other as a result of the attribution, commits an offence and is liable on conviction to imprisonment for a period not exceeding five years.

Annet Olema the principal chief administrative officer Terego says attributing all sickness to poison has adverse effect on the sick and encourages leaders to take active part in mobilizing communities on mind set change activities under various programs “Many of our young children are the most affected by this delay to take them to the health facilities and we need to start engaging the communities to impress health services”. Olema Urges

District Health Officer Dr. Simon Amandi reveals that Malaria positive cases at facility levels are alarming and need urgent attention despite other preventive interventions that have been introduced by government including treated mosquito nets, Indoor Residual Spray among others that many others are abusing.
According to Amandi this has not only contributed to malaria deaths but also affected peaceful coexistence among families.

Ministry of Health with support from Presidential Malaria Initiative has again introduced another five years malaria prevention intervention dubbed the Malaria Reduction Activity Program worth US$ 38M an equivalent of over 1.44trillion Ugx to tackle the disease burden in the five selected worst performing sub regions of Karamoja, West Nile, Lango, Acholi and Busoga which will run up to 2025.

Terego Resident District Commissioner Ajilong Bessie Modesta warns traditional herbalists who have illegally established themselves within the district to vacate or face arrest. “You know those who live by soil die by the soil, if you believe in witchcraft it comes to your door, so I want to warn those who pretend to be treating the locals with herbal medicines yet they do not have approvals from the ministry and the local authorities, once we land on you, we shall arrest you immediately and produce you to court. This is serious.” RDC warned.  

The public health Act 2020 bars the public from illegally practicing such act that are likely to aid the spread of any disease or endanger the lives of the public and prefers a charge of fines not exceeding 2 million or imprisonment of not more than 7 years or shillings or both. According to Severe Malaria Observatory, the government of Uganda spent 459.925 Trillion shillings in 2020 to put to an end the worrying malaria burden but the country is still been swallowed up by rising positive cases each day.

COVER PHOTO: Terego District councilors deriving strategies to tackle Malaria burden at the District council hall recently By Dramadri Federick.