Close Menu
The Standard  Digital
    What's Hot

    Pope Francis: A beacon for environmental stewardship

    May 26, 2025

    Canons end first round on a high

    May 22, 2025

    Lady Canons wrap up first round with win

    May 19, 2025
    1 2 3 … 328 Next

    Pope Francis: A beacon for environmental stewardship

    May 26, 2025

    Canons end first round on a high

    May 22, 2025

    Lady Canons wrap up first round with win

    May 19, 2025

    Canons Defeat Troubled Oilers

    May 19, 2025
    Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram
    Trending
    • Pope Francis: A beacon for environmental stewardship
    • Canons end first round on a high
    • Lady Canons wrap up first round with win
    • Canons Defeat Troubled Oilers
    • UCU launches FUEL leadership programme to shape future leaders
    • Addressing drug and substance use among our children
    • UCU honours Senyonyi with building name
    • UCU Canons fall short against unbeaten Blazers
    Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram
    The Standard  DigitalThe Standard  Digital
    Subscribe
    Thursday, May 29
    • Home
    • Features
    • Opinion
    • Religion
    • Life Style
    • Pictorial
    • Sports
    • Podcasts
    • E-paper
    The Standard  Digital
    Home»News

    Managing TB  reduces spreading of the disease

    The Standard EditorBy The Standard EditorAugust 20, 2024Updated:August 20, 2024 News No Comments5 Mins Read
    Share
    Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Pinterest Email

    By Asenath Were

    During the most recent health awareness week, held from June 30 to July 4, at Uganda Christian University (UCU), the university collaborated with the Ministry of Health, the Infectious Diseases Institute (IDI), and USAID Local Partner Health Services tuberculosis (TB) Activity (LPHS) to increase TB awareness and prevention within the university community. 


    According to Dr. Geoffrey Mulindwa, director of UCU’s Allan Galpin Health Centre, TB is an airborne infectious disease transmitted through breathing and coughing. He states that this semester, one of the students living in a UCU residence hall had TB. This, he said, is not the very first case they have had. It is about the third if they consider a time period of about a year.

    He emphasises the risk associated with this, namely that, “If someone is sharing a room at night with closed windows, they will undoubtedly infect others with their breath. But in this instance, safety precautions like isolation were implemented as soon as this was discovered, preventing the illness from spreading to others.”

    “Therefore, as soon as we learned about it, we asked the district health services if they could check the other students who were in the same room as the TB patient, which they did, and discovered that they were disease-free,” he says.

    Dr Mulindwa states that the number of cases of TB has increased recently by at least two or three times as a result of numerous factors that have lowered people’s immunity, such as HIV and poor nutrition. Rural-urban migration which has resulted in crowding, particularly in low-income housing areas, along with inadequate health services and awareness campaigns has also led to the increase.

    During a training session on TB, which was held at UCU’s Principal’s Hall on June 19, in advance of the TB screening, Dr. Brian Wamala of the Ministry of Health highlighted some causes and risk Factors for TB.

    Causes and symptoms

    He explained that TB is caused by the bacterium mycobacterium tuberculosis, highlighting the higher prevalence among men and the significant number of undiagnosed and unreported cases.

    “Symptoms such as persistent cough lasting over two weeks, unexplained weight loss, prolonged fever, unusual excessive sweating for children among other things are key indicators for tuberculosis,” Dr. Wamala stated.

    stay healthy and protect your loved ones: Get tested for TB today. Early detection can save lives (courtesy photo)

    Mulindwa also pointed out that TB is mainly associated with closeness, contact, and crowding. “There are so many incidences of vulnerability, like when we are moving in crowded transport, when we are at crowded events, anybody with a cough can spread it to others,” he says.

    He added that tuberculosis is a disease that affects every part of the body: “You may have contracted it through the lungs, but it affects you right from the skin to the bones, that is to say, the eyes, brain, spinal cord, heart, lungs, stomach, intestines, bladder name it.”

    “The good news is it is curable if identified early, the bad news is, it can kill if not identified early and treated in time. It can cause complications if it affects those different organs like the heart and the kidney. It requires a lot of discipline to avoid it,” Dr. Mulindwa cautioned.

    One must therefore go to the nearest health centre for treatment.

    “What we stress is that people who are diagnosed with the illness should take their medication as prescribed daily, finish their course of treatment, and be evaluated to determine whether they are cured,” he stressed. 

    Furthermore, he claims that the risk has always been those who are inconsistent with their TB treatment because, after the first two weeks, symptoms such as fever, chest discomfort, fullness in the abdomen, or diarrhoea resolve and they stop taking the drug, despite the fact that the treatment regimen is six months long.

    As a result, even if they are given treatment, they will not improve since the germs get resistant to the medication as they consume it. And if someone coughs and spreads that infection, the next person will contract a bacterium that is already resistant to antibiotics.

    Treatment

    For treatment, he says, an individual is given a combination of antibiotics which are usually four drugs but might be combined in one or two tablets which you take daily. The amount reduces after two months but one should continue taking the medication for four more months to completely clear the disease out of one’s system.

    He however urged everyone to stay hopeful because tuberculosis is treatable. Records at the Allan Galpin health centre show that two patients recovered after getting treatment, and one more is beginning their four-month course of treatment this semester.

    The health centre is raising awareness of the disease and students are encouraged to spread awareness among their fellow students and seek diagnosis and treatment immediately, should they feel symptoms presenting.

    Share this:

    • Share
    • Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
    • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
    • Click to share on WhatsApp (Opens in new window)
    • Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window)
    • Click to share on Telegram (Opens in new window)
    • Click to print (Opens in new window)

    Related

    The Standard Editor

    This is the digital news site of the Uganda Christian University community newspaper, "The Standard". The Standard newspaper was established in May 2007 under, formerly Department, but now School of Journalism, Media & Communication.

    Keep Reading

    Addressing drug and substance use among our children

    Crystal meth: A growing drug crisis among campus students

    A journey of discovery – an exchange student tells her story

    UCU Kagando College: A Beacon of Hope for Maternal Health in Kasese

    Hamu Mukasa Library –  serving the community and beyond

    Internship: A gateway to the working world

    Recent Posts
    • Pope Francis: A beacon for environmental stewardship
    • Canons end first round on a high
    • Lady Canons wrap up first round with win
    • Canons Defeat Troubled Oilers
    • UCU launches FUEL leadership programme to shape future leaders

    Subscribe to News

    Get the latest sports news from NewsSite about world, sports and politics.

    Advertisement
    Demo
    About
    Recent Posts
    • Pope Francis: A beacon for environmental stewardship
    • Canons end first round on a high
    • Lady Canons wrap up first round with win
    • Canons Defeat Troubled Oilers
    • UCU launches FUEL leadership programme to shape future leaders
    Recent Posts
    • Pope Francis: A beacon for environmental stewardship
    • Canons end first round on a high
    • Lady Canons wrap up first round with win
    • Canons Defeat Troubled Oilers
    • UCU launches FUEL leadership programme to shape future leaders
    Recent Posts

    Pope Francis: A beacon for environmental stewardship

    May 26, 2025

    Canons end first round on a high

    May 22, 2025

    Lady Canons wrap up first round with win

    May 19, 2025

    Canons Defeat Troubled Oilers

    May 19, 2025
    1 2 3 … 275 Next

    The Main Campus situated at Mukono, UCU Kampala Campus, UCU Arua Campus, Bishop Barham University College in Kabale and UCU Mbale University College.

    We're social. Connect with us:

    Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram YouTube

    Subscribe to Updates

    Get the latest creative news from FooBar about art, design and business.

    © 2025 The Standard. Designed by UIS.
    • Home
    • Sports

    Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.

     

    Loading Comments...