Health officials in Uganda’s West Nile region are raising concerns over a significant surge in Tuberculosis (TB) cases, with more than 52 new infections confirmed in the first half of September alone.
A report from the TB plus campaign league released on Monday revealed the spike, and officials warn that new cases continue to be registered daily, signaling a growing public health challenge.
Tuberculosis, a preventable and curable infectious disease that primarily affects the lungs, spreads through the air when an infected person coughs or sneezes. The outbreak is affecting districts across the region, with Zombo recording the highest number at 12 cases, followed closely by Pakwach with 11. Arua City and Yumbe have each registered six cases, while other districts reported smaller numbers. Four districts—Adjumani, Moyo, Obongi, and Maracha—have so far recorded zero cases.
In Arua City, health workers are on high alert. Jane Drijaru, the TB Focal Point Person at Oli Health Center Four, noted that while her facility had confirmed six cases by September 15th, three more were diagnosed the very next morning. She attributes the rise in the city to rural-urban migration, which has led to people living in congested, poorly ventilated areas with inadequate sanitation.
“Pulmonary TB has turned out to be common in the City,” Drijaru explained, pointing to communal eating and sleeping practices in overcrowded neighborhoods as key drivers. Health officials have identified several hotspots, including Arua Air Field, Madi Quarters, and the Central Business District, all areas characterized by high population density.
A critical factor fueling the surge is the strong link between TB and other diseases. According to health reports from the Oli facility, more than 80-percent of patients who test positive for TB also test positive for HIV, highlighting the vulnerability of immunocompromised individuals.
Beyond urban centers, regional mobility appears to be a major contributor to the spread. Health officials suspect that bustling hubs like Pakwach Town Council, a primary gateway to the rest of Uganda, and Paidah Town Council in Zombo, which attracts significant cross-border traffic from the Democratic Republic of Congo, are acting as transmission centers where people move and interact freely.
This constant movement complicates efforts to contain the disease, underscoring the urgent need for a coordinated response to address this escalating health crisis.
