Busia County has begun training Community Health Promoters (CHPs) at Teso North Subcounty Hospital on communicable diseases to mitigate the impact of Red Eye disease, which continues to wreak havoc among residents.
The move comes as the government continues to advocate for primary health care, which champions preventive care as opposed to curative care, which costs the government billions of shillings.
Jackline Asinge, the Nurse in Charge, applauded the move by the county, noting that such interventions will play a pivotal role in reducing cases of communicable diseases and easing congestion in hospitals.
The timely interventions come at a time when the county of Busia has been threatened by the spread of the Red-Eye disease.
Malaria, Tuberculosis, High Blood Pressure, Hepatitis B, Corona, and conjunctivitis are among the diseases whose preventive measures were shared with the CHP’s who attended the occasion at Kocholia Subcounty Hospital.
Leah Akwii, an optician, debunked myths and misconceptions associated with communicable diseases, urging CHPs to reach out to patients to track their disease history in addition to giving the right prescription.
“The red-eye disease is ravaging souls, and non-medically prescribed treatment may be more hazardous,” Akwii said.
She advised the residents to use Ciprofloxacin for the cure of eye diseases, which is antibiotic- and steroid-free, instead of ProbetaN and Gentamizine, which worsen the condition.
The expert agrees that the disease is most likely caused by adenovirus, which spreads very quickly but rarely causes long-term eye complications.
Red Eye is spread by contact with infected tears or any kind of fluid from the eyes of an infected person, and sharing items such as spectacles, microscopes, washrags, towels, pillows, and eye make-up can promote the spread of this infection.
According to Agnes Ngoya, a Clinical Officer, Teso North recorded 71 TB cases last year, some of which were referral cases from Uganda.
TB disease is characterised by a continuous dry cough, back pains, chest pains, stagnant weight loss, fever, and appetite loss, among others.
She says that outside meetings, social distancing, proper ventilation, and arm cough are among the preventive measures for curbing the disease.
The cheerful CHPs who spoke to the press expressed their gratitude to the government for the monthly stipend and equipment, noting that their work rate had drastically improved as they felt more motivated.
By Okodoi Joel
