Health officials have confirmed cases of measles among young children. The affected children, all under the age of five, reside in Nyamwamba West Cell of Nyamwamba Division within Kasese Municipality.
Mr. Arafat Bwambale, the Kasese District Surveillance Focal Person, provided confirmation of the measles cases. He stated that on January 29, an alert was received from Village Health Team (VHT) members in the area who noticed symptoms consistent with measles in the children.
Upon receiving the alert, health authorities conducted further investigations, ultimately confirming measles in the affected children. Samples were collected and sent to the National Virus Research Institute for testing, which yielded positive results.
Mr. Bwambale noted that active surveillance is ongoing in the district, with 10 additional alerts being followed up on. The outbreak is believed to be attributed to factors such as frequent movement of people, misconceptions about immunization, and religious beliefs.
Dr. Stephen Bagonza, the Acting Kasese District Health Officer, expressed concern over parents’ refusal to acknowledge their children’s infections. Despite successful treatment and discharge, some parents have relocated and denied health teams access to assess their children’s progress.
Lt. Maate Magwara, the Kasese Deputy Resident District Commissioner (RDC), emphasized the importance of public awareness about immunization and the utilization of health facilities for medical attention. Health authorities are urged to intensify efforts in educating the public on these matters to prevent further spread of measles and other diseases in the community.
