Judul : Govt sets up tsetse fly traps in Kalangala
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Govt sets up tsetse fly traps in Kalangala
Key Information:
- Local residents report that the flies, which previously remained near the lake, have now moved as far as 500 meters inland, biting people on porches, in gardens, and along walking paths.
The authorities have deployed 8,000 tsetse fly traps in Kalangala District to assist in managing the biting pests that have recently migrated from the Lake Victoria coastline into residential areas and agricultural lands.
There were initial reports of a rise in tsetse fly bites in September, primarily near Mweena Landing Site on Buggala Island.
Local residents report that the flies, which previously remained near the lake, have now moved as far as 500 meters inland, biting people on porches, in gardens, and along walking paths.
Tsetse flies transmit sleeping sickness, a condition also referred to as Human African Trypanosomiasis. The disease is passed on via bites from infected insects, and identifying or managing it is challenging, requiring trained medical personnel.
"Tsetse flies are causing chaos. We used to spot them near the lake, but now they're coming into our homes," says Mr. Ibrahim Muyingo, a local from Mweena Landing Site.
He states: “We are deeply concerned about the illnesses that might result from their bites. Although we no longer witness any cases of sleeping sickness, if these flies bite people and animals, we remain in danger.”
Mr. Julian Muwonge, a local entrepreneur based at Mweena Landing Site, reports that the fly population has risen.
"Farmers and travelers have faced a significant risk of losing their animals and, in some cases, their lives. By the time we sounded the alarm, many individuals along the shore were reporting frequent bites each day," he states.
The issue with the tsetse fly in Kalangala dates back to the 1920s, when cases of sleeping sickness led to the death of approximately 60 percent of the population and resulted in large-scale relocations.
The colonial administration relocated inhabitants to Masaka and Entebbe in order to facilitate aerial spraying. Even now, the region continues to face challenges from tsetse fly infestations, which still pose a risk to both humans and animals by causing sleeping sickness and nagana.
Mr. Allan Mutagubya, the entomologist from Kalangala District, states that the present number of flies caught per trap per day (FTD) is seven.
FTD refers to a metric that calculates the average quantity of flies captured by one trap within a three-day period.
He, however, states that the traps are insufficient to control the flies, "We received 8,000 traps from the Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries, but this amount is still much lower than what is required to cover all 64 inhabited islands," he says, further noting, "Even Buggala Island alone cannot be adequately managed with this quantity."
He mentions that the district has begun using these traps in areas with higher risk, starting with Mweena, and is collaborating with Village Health Teams (VHTs) and community leaders to locate additional problem zones.
In 2010, the government, via the Sustainable Tsetse and Trypanosomiasis Free Areas project, provided 20,840 traps to Kalangala. Nevertheless, local officials claim that all of these traps have ceased to function.
editorial@ug.nationmedia.com
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