Cases of bilharzia have increased around most lake shores. Children living in these areas are the most affected. Currently, over 200 children and adults are reportedly infected with bilharzia with about 10 people believed to have died from the disease in the last two weeks. Most of the families here live on the remote shores of Lake Victoria where access to health services remains difficult. Locals here believe it is witchcraft. “It is discovered that these communities are affected in most cases with bilharzia which has caused stunted growth in children and in most cases it eats up the pockets of the parents as they take the children to hospitals. And also it drains their income, and also the drugs cannot be enough every time. according to the Chairperson of the Youths in Busagazi Parish Bejjusa Frank, ignorance among the fishing community was to blame for the high cases. Nambula village Local Council I Chairperson Moses Kilimye said farmers and fishermen who live around the shores of Lake Victoria face a lot of challenges that have affected their way of life at the landing site. Local leaders said the poor living conditions forced many away from the lake to farming. But even then, they lack the market for their produce.

Speaking at a Sanitation Sensitization Meeting aimed at reducing bilharzia cases in Nambula village along the shores of Lake Victoria, the Country Director Busoga Trust Musa Sentongo said that they hoped to curb the increasing cases of dysentery and bilharzia among other water-borne diseases. “There were a lot of problems faced by the people living along the lake shores. Issues of bilharzia, issues of dysentery, and issues of diarrhea were really affecting the people and making them none productive. Busoga Trust together with the UK local government, we joined into a partnership being supported by Iceland Embassy and we teamed up to make sure that issues of poor sanitation are really managed.”