ReliefWeb

- Hepatitis E outbreak in Northern Uganda on the down ward trend but significant numbers of cases are still being reported from Kitgum district.

- Coordination remains a priority as plans begins to strengthen government capacity to assume full leadership of health, nutrition and HIV/AIDS coordination at districts and national levels

- Health Information Management and Integrated Diseases Surveillance and Response Systems (HMIS/IDSR) strengthened in northern Uganda

- Community health, nutrition and HIV/AIDS services delivery strengthened through training of additional Village Health Teams VHTS)

1. General Situation: Political, Social and Security

In the north, the general security situation remains stable despite the stalemate in the peace talks.

The security situation in Karamoja remains delicate with reported incidence of violence clashes and cattle raids across the all districts of the region. Disarmament initiated by the government is ongoing with reports of lethal encounters between government forces and the Karamajong warriors

2. Programme Implementation

a. Activities

Emergency Health, Nutrition and HIV/AIDS Response Project (Sida)
In Kitgum District, WHO/EHA

- Provided technical, financial and logistical support to the District Health Team (DHT) to conduct technical IDSR/ HMIS support supervision and on- job training to health workers in 27 health facilities. The supervision and on- job training was intended to improve on the sensitivity of the surveillance system following the confirmation of Polio in Southern Sudan. A total of 5 border immunization posts have been identified. Alongside, sensitization of community leaders was done in all sub-counties on the threat of importation of Polio from Southern Sudan and preventive measures that need to be undertaken.

- Supported the District Health Office to distribute credit line medicines delivered by NMS. The medicines included antiMalarial (Co- artem) which had ran out of stock in most health facilities.

- Provided the  District Biostatistician with 1 Lap top computer to further improve HMIS/IDSR reporting  

- Supported the District Health Office with mama kits which were distributed to peripheral health facilities while others were distributed to hard- to- reach areas during provision of outreach services.

- Continued to provide technical, financial and logistical support towards Hepatitis E interventions in -the areas of coordination, surveillance/ case management, WASH and social mobilization. Support to human resource includes recruitment of temporary staff (3 WASH Consultants/ Social Mobilization Specialists, 4 Clinical officers and 5 Comprehensive Nurses)