Health experts have convened cross boarder regional meeting to discuss ways of eradicating neglected diseases which have continued to affect various communities in Africa despite the availability of medicines to treat the diseases.

The meeting which has been convened in Entebbe is focusing mainly on Guinea worm disease, which is still affecting various communities in Southern Sudan, Ethiopia, Sudan and DRC.

State Minster for health, Sarah Achieng Opendi

Three years ago World health organization declared Uganda Guinea worm free, among the mentioned countries, but because of, being a neighbor to DRC and Southern Sudan, those countries have remained a threat to Uganda.

The minister of state for health Sarah Opendi says government is considering putting in place a surveillance system to monitor the disease across all boarders of the country.

Guinea worm disease is transmitted by drinking stagnant surface water that contains Cyclops infested by the larvae of the parasites. There is no medicine or vaccine against the disease but simple and effective measures such as filtering of drinking water can prevent from guinea worm disease.