COM seeks to simplify sleeping sickness diagnosis
ollege of Medicine, a constituent college of University of Malawi (Unima) says the country is on course in exploring new tools of diagnosing sleeping sickness.
The college is conducting a study on sleeping sickness in Nkhotakota and Rumphi districts on how best to tackle the disease which is transmitted by Tsetse fly.
Speaking at a stakeholders meeting on Friday, an investigator in the study Peter Nambala said the disease remains a public health problem hence, the country needs to explore ways to tame its spread.
He observed that the team conducting the study is striving to find new tools of diagnosis such as using microscope and molecular technique, saying the disease mostly affects poor people.
He said: “In our research, we have discovered that late reporting of cases to the hospital as well as misdiagnosis by health personnel as challenges affecting the fight against the disease.”
In her remarks, district health officer (DHO) Wezzie Mumba said the fight against the disease can only be successful if stakeholders work together.
She pointed out that the district health office is conducting awareness meeting with communities living along Nkhotakota Wildlife Reserve who she said are highly at risk.
