Vision Group supports National Stop Tetanus Awareness Run

The Coalition for Health Promotion and Social Development (HEPS-Uganda) and the Stop Tetanus Club, in collaboration with the Health Ministry and other partners, held the first-ever Nationals Stop Tetanus Awareness and vaccination Run on Sunday.

The 4km run began from City Square in Kampala and ended at Mulago Referral Hospital climaxing the month-long 'stop Tetanus awareness campaign' launched on September 16.

The campaign was inspired by the recurrent preventable deaths resulting from Tetanus despite the government's tireless vaccination efforts against the disease.

The 'Stop Tetanus Awareness Run' is also one of the activities partners are organising to advocate for an adult immunisation policy which will engage the men and other adults who are sidelined in the current national Tetanus immunisation policy.

Participants take part in the inaugural national stop tetanus awareness run at City Square. Photo by Michael Nsubuga

Participants take part in physical exercise session. Photo by Michael Nsubuga

Although Tetanus affects all age groups, babies, young and adults, the policy concentrates on women of childbearing age (15-49 years), leaving out the men and other age groups.

Unlike polio and smallpox, Tetanus cannot be eradicated as the spores are abundant in the environment and there are animal reservoirs, according to the World Health Organisation (WHO). WHO has since 2017updated the policy recommendations for tetanus vaccination that all populations worldwide should be vaccinated against Tetanus.

HEPS executive director, Kenneth Mwehonge, said the proceeds from the Charity run will be used to mobilise resources to support the Tetanus survivors who are grappling with the high hospital bills. “We also plan to conduct more activities to create awareness among the population about the need for Tetanus booster vaccination jabs which are given freely in private and government hospitals,” Mwehonge stated.

The tetanus vaccine doesn't provide lifelong immunity, unlike other childhood immunisable diseases. Protection begins to decrease after about ten years, which is why doctors advise booster shots every decade. The World Health Organisation (WHO) estimates that mortality from Tetanus is close to 100% without medical care, often exceeding 50% even with hospital care.

Despite eliminating maternal and neonatal Tetanus (MNT) in 2011, owing to the mass vaccination efforts by the government and partners among children and childbearing women, Tetanus cases among adults are still high. Every year, 3000 up to 5000 people are affected with Tetanus in Uganda, according to the Uganda National Expanded Program on Immunisation (UNEPI). Worse still, most patients die because it requires emergency and long-term supportive treatment in the Intensive care unit.

“Therefore, this campaign creates public awareness about the lethal disease and prevention and advocates for an adult tetanus immunisation policy. Thus, in collaboration with the Health Ministry, the run, which has attracted hundreds of people, will climax with participants' voluntary booster Tetanus immunisation,” Mwehonge noted.

“We also call upon other partners to join this great cause as we create awareness and raise resources to support Tetanus treatment at Mulago Hospital. It is a costly disease to treat yet preventable. Therefore, people need to understand that the tetanus vaccine we get during childhood doesn’t provide lifelong immunity.

“We need to get a booster jab to prevent this cruel disease. We thank all the media houses partnered with during this campaign to reach the general public and decision-makers through awareness messages on childhood and adult immunisation. We also call upon other companies, media houses, organisations and influencers to support the campaign against this silent killer,” Mwehonge stated.