{UAH} GWOKTO DO NOT LAND, YOUR SITE IS OCCUPIED!!!
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We had jiggers in Busoga, nodding disease in Acholi and now lice in Kalanga.
Pubic lice invade the privacy of Kalangala households
Pubic lice have large front legs and look like tiny crabs. They are also known as crab lice. Maintaining good hygiene is the best way to keep these lice away from one's body. Net photo
Posted Monday, February 23 2015 at 02:00
IN SUMMARY
High levels of prostitution and poor sanitary conditions have led to the rapid spread of pubic lice among the fishing communities in Kalangala District on Lake Victoria.
In December 2013, 27-year-old Richard Kinene left his home in Masaka District, destined for Banga landing site in Kalangala District. He had spent three years without a job after completing his Senior Six. He was looking to earn money in the fishing business. He rented a single room in a grass-thatched wooden house and started work as a fisherman in the area.
Prostitution and disease spread
After about four months, Kinene had adapted to the way of life on the landing site. It was then that he started engaging in activities like sleeping with commercial sex workers in the belief that he would get a larger fish catch. He was lured into drinking and taking drugs in order to be able to remain awake and fish at night.
After sleeping with different sex workers for about five months, he was infected with sexually transmitted diseases. Kinene says he contracted syphilis and HIV. In the process, the fisherman was also afflicted with pubic lice.
While many landing sites and waterfront areas of Lake Victoria are known to have high HIV/Aids prevalence, Banga landing site is one of the few areas in Kalangala District with a large population located in the outskirts whose HIV prevalence competes with that of other sexually transmitted infections.
"It is mostly prostitutes who spread pubic lice to other people. I strongly believe they are also the ones who spread the lice to me," insists Kinene.
Banga landing site is located in Bujumba sub county, in the southern part of Kalangala District and is said to be a hub of sexually transmitted diseases.
Tom Tomusange, a peer sex educator who also owns a lodge says most people in the area do not have wives and only sleep with commercial sex workers to satisfy their sexual desires. He says three years back, the same diseases attacked residents in the area.
"Many young girls come from different parts of the country. They know in which season fish catches are high and target the season since fishermen are always rich," Tomusange explains.
To compound the problem, many residents are now afflicted with pubic lice.
According to Dr Edward Muwanga, the focal person for HIV/Aids and Sexually Transmitted Infections in Kalangala District, 30 per cent of the population on the landing site are affected by pubic lice.
These statistics are drawn from research done by Kalangala Health Centre IV in October last year.
The study was funded by Kalangala NGO forum and aimed to examine the state of health services in Kalangala District.
Understanding pubic lice
Pubic lice infestation, or pediculosis, is caused by parasites living on human skin. Pubic lice are tiny, wingless insects with sucking mouthparts that feed on human blood and lay eggs on body hair or in clothing. Lice bites can cause intense itching.
Just like Kinene, many people at Banga landing site are infected with pubic lice. The lice have greatly spread in the previous six months.
The insects have caused a lot of complications within members of the landing site.
The lice favour the pubic area in both men and women and are attracted to the unclean, long and unshaven pubic hair.
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