Health experts are urged to strengthen diagnosis as one of the ways to reduce Uganda’s disease risk for sexually transmitted infections (STIs)
The new report released on Tuesday by the World Health Organization this week shows that STIs like Syphilis and Gonorrhoea are increasing in most parts of the world including here in Uganda.
“The rising incidence of syphilis raises major concerns,” said WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
“Fortunately, there has been important progress on a number of other fronts, including accelerating access to critical health commodities, including diagnostics and treatment, Mr Adhanom said.
“We have the tools required to end these epidemics as public health threats by 2030, but we now need to ensure that, in the context of an increasingly complex world, countries do all they can to achieve the ambitious targets they set themselves,” he added.
Jackson Chekweko Executive Director at Reproductive Health Uganda says, health workers need to encourage their clients to always test for obstinate STIs such as Syphilis because if not treated it can stay in the body and be transmitted from generation to generation.
He also added that there is a need to create strong surveillance and public awareness about health systems.
“What I can say is syphilis is treatable and whenever people have symptoms either there is a rush, burning sensation, some pains even cause advanced stages for example it can cause blindness and many more but it is treatable, so my appeal to the public people should screen themselves and it is affordable,’’ Mr Chekweko said.
The UN indicated earlier, that globally, Sexually Transmitted Diseases are killing up to 2.5m people every year and some of those that are spreading rapidly include syphilis, gonorrhoea, chlamydia, and trichomoniasis.
