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Unknown Disease Claims Lives of Five Children in Uganda, Local Media Reports
Unknown Disease Claims Lives of Five Children in Uganda, Local Media Reports
Sputnik Africa
The mysterious disease, with symptoms of high fever, vomiting, paleness, passing bloody urine, and general body weakness, was first detected in January in the... 11.02.2024, Sputnik Africa
2024-02-11T14:19+0100
2024-02-11T14:19+0100
2024-02-11T14:41+0100
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uganda
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Five children have lost their lives due to unknown illness in Uganda, the local media reported on Saturday.Some parents who lost their offsprings told the media that although they rushed to the hospital as soon as their kids felt bad, the doctors couldn't save their young patients since it was too late. However, one mother said that her daughter was cured thanks to "adequate treatment."Leaders in the area reportedly demanded the country's health ministry to investigate what's "killing their children" and complained about slow response from local health authorities.Doctor Alfred Kato, the district’s health officer, claimed, however, that it was likely acute malaria, the report said.Malaria is a potentially fatal illness that is spread by specific types of mosquitoes, primarily found in tropical areas. Africa is predominantly impacted by the disease, with a staggering 95% of cases and 96% of deaths occurring on the continent, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).Moreover, the number of malaria cases increased by about 5 million in 2022 compared to 2021. Every minute, a child under the age of five dies from malaria, according to the WHO.One of the most effective ways to combat the disease is through vaccination. In January, the first doses of the malaria vaccine were delivered to Benin, the third African nation to receive the vaccine after Sierra Leone and Cameroon, following a pilot phase in Ghana, Kenya and Malawi.
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uganda, world health organization (who), health, healthcare, health ministry, disease, virus, east africa, benin, sierra leone
Unknown Disease Claims Lives of Five Children in Uganda, Local Media Reports
14:19 11.02.2024 (Updated: 14:41 11.02.2024) The mysterious disease, with symptoms of high fever, vomiting, paleness, passing bloody urine, and general body weakness, was first detected in January in the six villages of Bukomansimbi District in the central part of the country.
Five children have lost their lives due to unknown illness in
Uganda, the local media reported on Saturday.
Some parents who
lost their offsprings told the media that although they rushed to the hospital as soon as their kids felt bad, the doctors couldn't save their young patients since it was too late. However, one mother said that her daughter was cured thanks to "adequate treatment."
Leaders in the area reportedly demanded the country's health ministry to investigate what's "killing their children" and complained about slow response from local health authorities.
Doctor Alfred Kato, the district’s health officer, claimed, however, that it was likely acute malaria, the report said.
“Our health teams have visited the affected villages and discovered that the symptoms are similar to those of malaria. When Malaria is severe, it becomes complicated to treat. However, we are carrying out further investigations to establish what exactly the problem is, and later recommend evidence-based control measures,” he reportedly said.
Malaria is a potentially fatal illness that is spread by specific types of mosquitoes, primarily found in tropical areas. Africa is predominantly impacted by the disease, with a staggering 95% of cases and 96% of deaths occurring on the continent, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).
Moreover, the number of malaria cases increased by about 5 million in 2022 compared to 2021. Every minute, a child under the age of five dies from malaria, according to the WHO.
One of the most effective ways to combat the disease is through vaccination. In January, the first doses of the malaria vaccine were delivered to
Benin, the third African nation to receive the vaccine after Sierra Leone and Cameroon, following a pilot phase in Ghana,
Kenya and Malawi.
