Jiggers linked to spread of HIV
By Paul Kiwuuwa
A doctor has linked jiggers to the spread of HIV.
“It leads to HIV transmission, using one safety pin to extract the jiggers from the body. It exposes the whole household to HIV,” the project manager of the Jigger Eradication Programme, Dr. George Mukone said recently.
In this light, the Government is seeking sh300m to fight jiggers in Busoga sub-region, according to a health ministry official.
“The health minister has taken the proposal to Cabinet and if approved, the funds would be used to reduce the deadly parasites,”, said Dr. Mukone.
“The programme [Jigger Eradication Programme] will be based in rural communities and schools to raise awareness about the magnitude of the jiggers. The bottles of dimectone oil in 50 and 100 millilitres will treat 10 people per family,” he said.
“The chemical proved a success in jigger treatment in Kenya where over a million people were treated.”
He said according to a survey carried out in 2012, over four million people, mostly children and elderly in Busoga, had jiggers.
“Part of the sh180m is to purchase dimeticone oil, to treat at least 50,000 worst-hit cases, ” Mukone added.
