AVOID MYTHS AND LOCAL TREATMENT OF ORAL ESOPHAGEAL CANDIDIASIS, HEALTH EXPERTS WARN

Toko Swaib the RDC Arua speaking to Community health extension workers during a training session.
 
By Godwin Abedican
 
Arua
 
Stakeholders are cautioning parents and care givers against the local treatment of Oral esophageal candidiasis.
 
This is a fungal infection or disease Caused by the overgrowth of the germ called candida albicans that bothers the community affecting mostly children under 5 years manifesting with wounds and sores in the mouth, vocal cavity, the tongue and anal orifis, making the child to develop high body temperatures, diarrhea among others.
  
Speaking to the community health extension workers of Arua district who are commencing a six months training on the disease management with support from the ministry of health, Toko Swaib the Resident District Commissioner Arua cautioned against poor hygienic practices saying those who work at community level should ensure they discourage poor hygiene among the community members.
 
“There is a disease which has been created in our communities which does not exist. They call it sickness of the fish. There is no sickness or disease of the fish. What is affecting the mouths of the children is hygiene related. It’s the caretakers infecting the child. Our culture is bad, you may greet over a hundred people, much as you might have washed your hands, how sure are you that the people whose hands you are shaking also washed their hands? That’s how we end up carrying infections,” he said.
Sally Andezu, the City Nutrition Officer Arua, therefore calls upon parents and caretakers to prioritize immunization of children in order to avoid this common occurrence.
 
“Most times people consider that to be disease of the fish. We therefore advise that these babies need to be fully immunized so that they avoid so many preventable diseases, we used to talk of 6 killer diseases, now the immunizable diseases have reached up to 14. So as mothers, let us ensure that by the time this child reaches 2 years, should have completed all the immunizations such that the burden of contracting immunizable diseases is controlled. Once these cases have occurred, do not ignore and allow that local treatment,” she cautioned.
 
Sally Andezu Arua city nutroition officer  during an interview.
 
Dr. Gift Patrick Asibo, the lead trainer for the community health extension workers of Arua district advocates for sensitization of community members by lower level health workers if such myths are to be eradicated among the community
 
“These germs primarily leave in the private parts. If the community members and caretakers go to the toilets and don’t wash their hands very well after helping themselves, they will  ultimately transfer these to the breast nipples and when the child is breastfeeding, the child will be able to suckle those germs and end up infecting their mouth and the throat. We expect community extension health workers to go back to their communities and one of the key roles is to do sensitization of the community members, we expect them to pass massages that can be able to dispel some of those misperceived ideas within the community about the disease so that the community attitude can be changed,” Dr. Asibo called.
 
The disease is common with babies having immunity problems especially low immunity caused by ill health as a result of diseases that burdens and give weaknesses to the babies making the children prone to the disease.
 
Locally people treat the same by periodically squeezing tomatoes in the child’s mouth, use of herbs and peeling off the glottis in the pretext of children not having quick response to medical treatment that have often led to difficulties in swallowing among the children, a practice discouraged by health personnel and experts.