Access to medicine advocates have expressed worry over the increased shortage of drugs used in the treatment of syphilis in Mbarara City.
Immaculate Nyamwiza, one of the activists, says sex workers have intimated to her that there is an increase in syphilis, and yet there is a drug stock-out in most facilities like Kijungu Health Center II and Nyamityobora Health Center III.
She says that the disease that is transmitted sexually can also be transmitted through the use of shared things like bedsheets and basins with an infected person is most reported in Kizungu areas, where the HIV prevalence is also high among female sex workers.
She adds that there is a reported stockout of condoms. She says condom stockouts are identified by volunteer peers who check every condom dispenser, noting that the stockout is most noticeable in Kizungu and Kisenyi in Mbarara City South Division.
Denis Basiima, another activist, says men have reported an increase in Urinary Tract Infections. “UTIs are mostly reported by men is also increasing; the men say that the women claim not to have UTIs, blaming lodge bedsheets, where sexual workers operate most”.
She says that in the local lodges, bedsheets are put before they dry up well, but also some are not properly washed. She wants testing for UTIs to become mandatory as it is for HIV.
Peter Sebutinde, the Mbarara District Health Officer, says that Mbarara has a 15% increase in syphilis, followed by Kabale at 9%, and blames this on the booming night businesses.
Dorcus Tibeitu, the Mbarara City Health Educator, says the syphilis injection is consumed quickly because the disease is prevalent in Mbarara compared to other sexually transmitted diseases like gonorrhea. She says drugs for Gonorrhea are available in facilities.
She said the condom stock-out is managed depending on the hotspots, noting that they are mandated to make condoms available, and they have committed to that.-URN. Give us feedback on this story through our email: kamwokyatimes@gmail.com
