As stated by Agnes Twongirwe, a community health worker from western Uganda. “Refugees have poor sanitation and poor toilet design, and this is confirmed by multiple cholera outbreaks in the past, some to the level of 153 cases from 3 villages being treated with only one resulting fatality.” Since freedom is guaranteed by law, managing the refugee population as a community health worker is complicated. “Refugees move almost everywhere, which complicates our health management.”
She has therefore been more attentive in her community work as a result of these previous incidents, another Cholera outbreak in 2001 quickened her resolve too. She explains, “Home therapy is one of our greatest accomplishments to date as a result of that past crisis;
“Connections were strengthened by isolation during these pandemics meaning much community work got done, but the refuge community stands out for its cleanliness since cleanliness, is a component of our strategy, she notes.
As a community health worker HIHA nominee for Western Uganda, she carries vast personal experience of what it’s like to live and work among the most vulnerable. “In addition to low family planning constraints, they hold onto deep beliefs about sanitation that affect their sanitation” she stresses for more prevention strategies for refugees, more so, Water and Sanitation Health”
She also underlines the necessity to restrict refugee travel across borders during outbreak seasons because, among other things, their cultures tolerate open defecation and eventually detest hand washing which is a catalyst to epidemic spread.
Her HIHA nomination gave her more motivation, She urges stakeholders to broaden her exposure to the entire Western region, saying, “I felt appreciated, and it motivates me daily to work more and harder,” especially because the need for her work doesn’t seem to have an end in sight of late.
