Health in Kampala

What are the common health infections in Uganda?,How can I avoid these?

Do terms like yellow fever, sleeping sickness, bird flu, or dengue fever, bring fear and stress to you? Well I have got great news for you; you don’t need to worry… although these plus other tropical diseases are in Uganda they are uncommon and rarely observed in visitors plus expats. On the other hand there are 2 exceptions, Malaria plus Bilharzia that I will discuss below.

As the unpleasant sounding diseases with bizarre names are uncommon it doesn’t mean that guests are hardly ever sick. In reality it is commonly the opposite they normally get everything because of insufficient immunity against the local germs. Particularly, a great deal of common colds, flu as well as diarrhea. However there is the good news; sooner or later you turn out to be immune to these local bugs plus pathogens and you may travel around and even eat anything with restored confidence.

Malaria

How can I prevent myself from Catching Malaria while in Uganda?

Within Uganda the most hazardous female around is known as the Anopheles. In case you see her please keep as far as you can from her and anything you do don’t allow her lips close to you. You may recognize her by her several peculiarities including not loving heights. Over 10 feet over the ground then she begins to get dizzy. She is a real late night social blood licking animal, and mainly active from 10 pm to just before dawn. Strangely she is very stuck-up about water sources. She does not care for running water, swamps, dirty water or deep water. However mostly prefers shallow temporary messes like footprints plus car tracks.

Although

malaria

exists in Uganda, it is unusual in Kampala. Because you now understand about the behavior of

Anopheles

(the malaria carrying female mosquito) it could be simpler to stay safe from infection. Among the best ways is to just sleep under a well treated mosquito net. Top quality nets can be found in supermarkets plus pharmacies throughout Kampala. In case you are traveling beyond Kampala it is usually advised to take prophylaxis. Visit your doctor regarding obtaining a prescription for the effective pills: Doxycyclene (once daily – the cheapest), Malarone (once per week the most expensive), Lariam (one time per week – average priced however has negative effects in 10% of its users). Anti-malaria medicine is purchased at pharmacies all through Kampala, however make sure to purchase them from a reliable pharmacy since there are estimates that almost 1/3 of the malaria medicine within sub-Saharan Africa is duplicate.

Malaria is readily treatable (if dealt with early) and the medicine, like Arthemether, is inexpensive and easily obtainable in

hospitals plus health centers

. But it can be an extremely severe disease, in case you begin to feel any Malaria symptoms ensure that you get a rapid test kit, or visit a hospital and be tested immediately.

Bilharzia

Bilharzia is a prevalent disease present in and around most of the fresh water-lakes plus rivers in Africa. It’s an awful little parasite that is carried by snails which sadly has triggered dangerous health and even economic problems throughout the continent. I have suffered from it, so did my girlfriend, and so have several other friends known to me. Even though it is a simply treatable disease it’s ideal not to understate its seriousness. Based on a tropical disease specialist based in Kampala Dr. Stockley, it may cause an enormous array of multi-organ disease such as quadriplegia,   infertility, epilepsy, renal failure, as well as death.

Within

Uganda

Bilharzia may be found in nearly all freshwater lakes as well as the River Nile . Dr. Stockley yet again cautions that the majority of the places publicized as ‘Bilharzia free’ appear to mean you obtain it without having to pay. On the other hand Lake Bunyonyi plus a number of crater lakes are truly Bilharzia free.

Although Bilharzia is a severe and unpleasant small disease it is simple and inexpensive to take care of. Uganda has too many swimmable rivers plus lakes to relish and several expats water-ski, swim, sail, raft and kayak without fear. Simply take your medicine in case you have the symptoms (particularly around the Six week mark following exposure), or each 6 months as a de-worming routine.

HIV & STD’s

What are the chances of contracting HIV and STDs while in Uganda?

When visiting Uganda for the very first time in 2006 as a student abroad I was offered a number of good advice from an ancient grizzled British doctor who has been working in this country for more than 20 years. I asked him what the most crucial thing to do to remain healthy throughout my stay in Uganda, he responded right away saying “keep your pants on!” Excellent advice considering the fact that HIV and a number of other STD’s are extremely common in Kampala. A number of estimates reveal that HIV is actually 2,000 times more prevalent in heterosexuals within Uganda compared to most countries in Europe.

Although condoms are a excellent alternative for preventing pregnancy the most effective figures reveal that they simply reduce the likelihood of transmitting the STD by approximately 10 times. Which means Ten times using a condom equals one time without. In accordance with the most recent statistics, more than 9% of the adults living in Kampala have HIV/AIDS, and it’s believed that the frequency of STD’s is way higher.

Sadly women are more vulnerable to getting HIV than the men, in accordance with Dr. Stockley, he says they are aware that the likelihood of transmission from men to women is really higher to 10 times higher, compared to that from women to the men. Additionally it is clear that the men probably going to be infected are actually non-monogamous, not celibate, young and above all sexually active. This means that the ones probably going to be enthusiastic about you! Therefore the only practical advice for temporary visitors particularly the ladies is: don’t actually think about it! Yet, in case you can’t be that smart, when you awaken one morning and realize that you’ve been stupid then immediately get post-exposure prophylaxis.

PEP (Post Exposure Prophylaxis) can be obtained in most hospitals in and around Kampala and can work up to 72-hours from the act. In the event that it is used within 24 hours then it is very likely that you have prevented HIV. Hep B immunization is likewise needed, plus a number of other invisible plus foreseeable diseases can be avoided by just one dose of two tablets of antibiotic.

Immunizations

Crucial information to consider before visiting Uganda is taking immunization. Some of the frequent immunizations that your physician could have to give you are: Meningococcal, Yellow Fever, Typhoid, Hep A, Tetanus as well as Hep B. It is a great idea to consult with your local Health Department or the tropical disease clinic to get a list of the latest immunizations appropriate for Uganda and how much it costs. Additionally you can check the websites below which are regularly updated on advised immunizations: www.iamat.org, www.cdc.gov/travel and www.istm.org

Medical Facilities

There are 3 private hospitals within Kampala; and these include

Nakasero Hospital – https://www.nakaserohospital.com

International Hospital Kampala – https://www.img.co.ug/

The Surgery – https://www.thesurgeryuganda.org/