NWSC, STAKEHOLDERS CONVENE IN MOYO TO CHART TRACHOMA TRANSITION PLAN

The National Water and Sewerage Corporation (NWSC), health experts, and government officials have convened in Moyo District for a two-day Trachoma Transition Planning Meeting aimed at strengthening collaborative efforts to eliminate the disease in high-risk communities. The meeting, which kicked off today, June 26th, 2025, is organised by the Ministry of Health’s Vector-Borne and Neglected Tropical Diseases Division in collaboration with Moyo District leadership.

Bringing together key players from the health and WASH (Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene) sectors, the meeting seeks to develop a clear roadmap for sustaining progress in the fight against trachoma, a preventable eye disease that remains a public health concern in parts of Uganda.

Access to clean water quickly took centre stage in the discussions, as participants emphasised its crucial role in interrupting the infection cycle. Addressing the gathering, Mr Arima Isa, Area Manager of National Water and Sewerage Corporation (NWSC) Moyo, highlighted the direct connection between water access and disease prevention. He highlighted NWSC’s efforts to expand household water connections in the district, aligning with the corporation’s core mandate of ensuring “water for all”.

Mr Isa noted that clean water is a foundational requirement for reducing the spread of trachoma and explained that regular facial cleanliness, one of the foundations of the World Health Organisation’s SAFE strategy (Surgery, Antibiotics, Facial cleanliness, and Environmental improvement), is only possible where water is readily available and accessible.

He further emphasised that scaling up access to safe water not only supports the effective implementation of the SAFE strategy but also reduces the prevalence of active trachoma in vulnerable communities and enhances the sustainability of control efforts in the long run.

The meeting is expected to culminate in a comprehensive district transition plan, aligning public health objectives with water infrastructure development and community engagement.