More than 500 runners in Kampala and 200 more across Uganda ran to raise awareness and resources for an MDR-TB isolation ward at Iganga Hospital.
The 3rd National TB Marathon, organised by USTP, the Ministry of Health and partners, brought together more than 500 runners in Kampala and 200 participants at satellite events across Uganda.
This year’s event focused on TB as a public health emergency and on mobilising resources to build a Multi-Drug Resistant TB (MDR-TB) isolation ward at Iganga Hospital. Iganga General Hospital is the MDR-TB treatment initiation site for more than ten border districts in the Busoga region, one of the areas with the highest TB burden in Uganda.
Progress on the ward
Since the first marathon in 2022, the campaign has raised UGX 70 million, banked on a dedicated TB Isolation Ward account. District and hospital management have allocated land for the ward in the hospital’s master plan, and Iganga district leadership has held two marathons of its own.
Participants included government officials, development partners, civil society organisations, implementing partners, health workers, TB survivors and community members – a united front against the disease.
Read the full account in the USTP Annual Newsletter 2024 (PDF).
