Health workers carry a cholera patient at Kayunga hospital after the disease affected the area last year. Fears are looming that the disease could return, with about 100 people dead and many others hospitalized countrywide.

About 100 people have died of cholera, although the Ministry of Health put the death toll at 73, while thousands are being hospitalised in different health centres.
The number of people affected has increased to 3,111 from 2,200 in March in 13 districts of northern, eastern and western Uganda. With the public health services under pressure to contain the epidemic, the Ministry of Health is, this weekend, also preparing to launch a mass immunisation campaign to combat an outbreak of measles which has spread from 18 to 46 districts.
So far, the ministry has confirmed the death of 73 people from cholera since March although data from the districts indicate that more than 100 people have so far died.

According to the ministry spokesperson, Ms Rukia Nakamatte, more cases are being recorded around fishing areas, especially in the Albertine region, around Lake Albert, slums and congested areas where the level of hygiene and sanitation is very low.
She also attributed the outbreak to the onset of the rainy season that has seen rivers bursting their banks and flooding occurring, saying contaminated water finds its way to domestic water points, posing a great danger to communities.
In Nebbi District, at least 20 people are reported to have died and 820 infections recorded at various health units since March.
In Mbale District, 17 people have succumbed to cholera while more than 400 infections have been registered.
In Hoima, the death toll by yesterday, had risen from 8 to 14, while those still hospitalised are 444.
Other districts that have suffered the outbreak include Bududa, where five people died, Kasese 14, Zombo and Moyo 2, Masindi 3, Kibaale 6, Bulisa 2, Manafa 7, Sironko 8, Bududa 4, and Bundibugyo 10.
While the communities have been blamed for failure to control their personal hygiene and ignoring preventive measures given to them such as use of chlorine for disinfection and boiling drinking water, district authorities have asked government to urgently address the cholera situation, warning that very little is being done to suppress the disease which continues to spread.
Community health experts say the role of each family member in promoting hygiene remains a better measure to control the spread.
However, medical officials told this newspaper that their work has been affected by insufficient medicine.
The Hoima district disease surveillance officer, Mr Bonny Tinkamalirwe, decried the appalling sanitary conditions in the affected areas, saying many locals lack pit-latrines and proper personal hygiene practices.
Meanwhile, as of April 30, data from the Health ministry showed that about 3,270 children between four and 14 years had been recorded suffering from measles in 18 districts.
But Ms Nakamatte has told Daily Monitor that: “To-date, 46 districts including Kampala, Namayingo, Jinja, Busia, Bugiri, Nebbi, Sheema, Wakiso, Iganga, Luuka, Lwengo, Masaka, Mayuge, Buikwe, Mityana, Koboko, Mitooma, Mbale, Bukomansimbi, Bukwo, Butaleja, Buvuma, Gulu, Kalungu, Kiryandongo, Kole, Mbarara, Namutumba, Rakai, Sironko, Buliisa, Buyende, Kalagala, Kamuli, Kanungu, Kiruhura, Luweero, Yumbe, Nakaseke, Ibanda, Kibaale, Kayunga, Bushenyi, Kyankwanzi, Budaka and Mukono have surpassed the measles epidemic threshold.
“We have not confirmed any deaths but our data shows an increase in new cases, with 630 measles cases recorded in May alone,” she said.