Uganda eliminates maternal, neonatal tetanus

The World Health organization (WHO) has confirmed that Uganda has completely eliminated Maternal and Neonatal Tetanus.

Ugandan minister of state for Health Richard Nduhura said the government has confirmed that the disease was no longer a threat in the country.

The certificate declaring the elimination of Maternal and Neonatal Tetanus in Uganda was presented to the ministry of health recently by the WHO representative to Uganda Joaquim Saweka.

Uganda was the 20th country to achieve the feat since 2000 among the 42 countries with same diseases.

Nduhura said that the survey which led to declaration of the elimination of Maternal and Neonatal Tetanus in Uganda was conducted in 2010 in Kibaale district where the incidence of Maternal and Neonatal Tetanus
was highest.

He reported that in Uganda 3,433 Neonatal Tetanus cases and 2,403 deaths occurred before 2010 in Uganda.

The UNICEF Uganda Country Representative Sharad Sapra said that the feat was a historic achievement for Uganda, and the government should be applauded for their commitment to eliminating the killer disease.

Other countries that have achieved elimination include Bangladesh, Burundi, Egypt, Mozambique, Rwanda, Turkey and South Africa.

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Posted by admin on July 26, 2011. Filed under Health. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry