Karamoja sub-region is still grappling with a huge burden of tuberculosis, with the sub-region having the highest number of people with the disease in the whole country.

This was revealed in a meeting organized by Uganda Stop TB partnership, held at Matany nursing training institute on Friday last week.

During the meeting, it was disclosed that the most affected districts include Moroto, Nabilatuk, Napak and Nakapiripirit.

The trend has been attributed to several factors including the lifestyle of the locals such as sharing of the local brew commonly known as kutukutu, living in congested homesteads or manyata and poverty among others.

The prevalence has been worsened by patients absconding from treatment and movement of suspected TB patients from one place to another, thus making contact tracing difficult.

Also contributing to the high prevalence of TB in Karamoja is the use of tobacco among the majority locals.

Reports indicate that approximately 30 people die of TB in Uganda every day.

The meeting was aimed at mobilizing political and local leadership to discuss how to advocate for TB funding, and it was attended by district chairpersons, religious and cultural leaders, members of the civil society and the media among others.