Mwiijukye Kedress, from Nyabirungi Cell, Kikagati Ward, Kikagati Town Council.
I started experiencing recurring illnesses—I would have frequent fevers, feel weak, lose my appetite, and suffer from chest pain and a persistent chronic cough. Due to my ignorance, I thought I had been bewitched because my sickness lasted for a long time. I kept losing weight, and my body started looking unhealthy. I would sweat excessively at night and cough persistently. Surprisingly, I would cough all night but feel slightly relieved in the morning.
I visited hospitals where I was given tablets like Amoxyl, and sometimes, I would go to clinics, buy drugs on my own, and treat myself. However, I did not know what specific disease I was treating.
When my condition worsened and refused to go away, I started suspecting that I might have AIDS. However, I was afraid of getting tested for HIV, so I continued believing that I had been bewitched.
I began searching for witchdoctors and asked my friends for advice. I would tell them, “I cough all night, I sweat excessively, I am losing weight. Please refer me to the most effective witchdoctor so that I can check if I have been bewitched and can be treated.”
A friend referred me to a certain witchdoctor, and I went there. However, my symptoms—coughing, weight loss, fevers, and night sweats—only worsened, despite all the scarification I received from the witchdoctor.
One day, I confided in a lady counselor who visited me. I told her about my visits to witchdoctors and how they had not helped me at all. I also mentioned the ineffectiveness of the drugs I had been buying from clinics.
She informed me that TB treatment services were available at Kikagati Hospital. She explained that my persistent cough and other symptoms could be due to high or low blood pressure, TB, or even HIV/AIDS. She advised me that if it was HIV, it would be better to get tested early since Kikagati Hospital offered free health services nearby. She encouraged me to seek medical attention instead of suffering with witchdoctors or self-medicating without proper diagnosis.
At first, I was terrified of taking TB medication. Thinking about HIV treatment frightened me even more—I thought I would die immediately if I tested positive. However, the counselor kept encouraging me, and eventually, I agreed to go. We actually went together.
At the hospital, they tested my sputum for TB, conducted an HIV test, and checked my blood pressure. The results showed that I had TB—that was the illness I had been suffering from while I wrongly believed I was bewitched or had HIV.
I was shocked. The health workers counseled me and gave me TB medication. After three months of taking the tablets, I started feeling relieved. When I returned to the hospital, they gave me another three-month dose. After six months, they tested my sputum again, and the results showed that the TB was gone.
The chest pain disappeared, my persistent cough stopped, and I started regaining weight. I finally looked and felt healthy again.
From that moment, I started sharing my story with others, warning them against seeking help from witchdoctors when they fall sick. I would tell them, “I was bedridden, on the verge of death. Then someone advised me to go to the hospital for a checkup. I went, got tested, and now look at me—do you see anything wrong with me? In the name of Jesus, I was healed!”
I would also tell them, “If you have a cough that lasts more than two weeks, experience night sweats, lose weight, or develop an itchy skin rash, run to the nearest health facility. Kikagati Hospital offers treatment for HIV, blood pressure, and TB.”
I shared my own experience: “I thought I was bewitched and went to witchdoctors, but I almost died there. Now, you see, I was healed. I can also counsel others with persistent coughs, TB, and other unexplained illnesses.”
I always advise people to seek medical checkups first before resorting to witchdoctors or self-prescribing drugs from clinics. Self-medication is very risky—it can worsen your condition. You should visit the nearest health facility, get tested, and receive the appropriate treatment.
That is how I was healed. Now, I am a witness to the effectiveness of hospital treatment and how TB is curable.
At first, I was scared of taking the TB tablets. I wondered if I would be able to take them consistently. But when I started, I realized they were just like any other tablets—similar to Hedex or Panadol.
Later, I reassured myself that I wouldn’t die because I now knew what disease I had. I felt strong and determined to take my medication because I had suffered too much. And when I took the drugs, look at me now—I have recovered. Before treatment, I looked much older than my actual age, but now I am back to my normal self.
I did not experience any major side effects from the TB medication. At first, I was a bit anxious, but I gradually got used to it and continued taking my medicine.
I had TB for about six months, and at one point, I had lost all hope. I even feared going to the hospital because I thought I might have HIV. Before, getting tested felt like a death sentence. But now, we understand that while HIV/AIDS is incurable, it is treatable, and one can live a healthy life with it. People with HIV can give birth to children, raise grandchildren, and see them complete their education.
As for TB, we now know that it is completely curable, and preventive measures—such as avoiding alcohol, quitting smoking, and drinking boiled water—can help keep it at bay.
If you have a cough that lasts more than two weeks despite treatment, go to the hospital and have your sputum tested. If you are diagnosed with TB, you will be given medication, which you should take as prescribed. I took my medication faithfully, and I was healed.
I am grateful to the government for its initiative to test for TB in villages. However, I urge the government to provide some form of support or facilitation for us TB survivors who move around sensitizing people about the disease. If we are motivated, we can continue raising awareness and encouraging people to seek treatment at hospitals instead of turning to witchdoctors.
With continued sensitization and awareness campaigns, we can ensure that by 2030, there are no TB cases in Uganda. Yes! We can end TB in Uganda.
