Shafiq, a motorcycle rider for over ten years, virtually misplaced his life to the Ebola Virus Illness (EVD) simply over a 12 months in the past. He used to go deep into villages to select up and drop off passengers.

Since recovering from Ebola virus illness, his life has modified as he can not experience lengthy distances. He feels drained more often than not, a standard symptom that has been reported by many Ebola virus illness survivors.

“Despite the fact that I look sturdy, I do not all the time really feel that approach. I can not experience for lengthy hours like I used to,” he stated.

For Shafiq, the illness started with a fever and common physique weak spot. Following a Ministry of Well being name to the general public, inviting individuals that aren’t feeling nicely to get examined, he and his pals went to the well being centre. It was there that he examined optimistic for the Ebola virus illness.

Throughout his sickness, he reported just a few signs together with feeling physique pains, profound weak spot within the limbs, incapacity to eat, and a sort of limbo the place he could not inform what day it was or how a lot time had handed. Because of the aggressive remedy and care, he was in a position to discover a change in his state of well being.

When he recovered and was discharged, individuals had been frightened of him. “Everybody locally was petrified of me. All of them ran away as if that they had seen a lion,’ Shafiq narrates sadly.

At this time, due to a number of group consciousness and sensitization campaigns in opposition to stigma carried out by the Ebola Survivors Programme, Shafiq has fortunately been reintegrated again into his group. 

The survivor programme was applied by the Ministry of Well being, the World Well being Group (WHO) in Uganda and different companions, with funding from the European Union Humanitarian Support Division (ECHO).

 Aside from supporting survivors throughout group reintegration, the programme helps with viral persistence monitoring. The Ebola virus can proceed residing in sure components of the physique, even after restoration from the illness. Particularly, it may persist in breast milk, eyes, mind, cerebrospinal fluid, and semen. Which means that with no condom, a male survivor can infect his sexual associate.

“My girlfriend and I had been knowledgeable that I had been cured of Ebola, however I should bear medical and psychosocial follow-up to keep away from any resurgence and to advertise my re-integration again into the group,” defined Shafiq.

Shafiq is among the survivors for whom the virus has endured for greater than 16 months in his semen. He was suggested to make use of condoms although he had by no means used them earlier than. Nonetheless, he did not want a lot convincing as a result of he was educated on the danger of transmission.

“After I used to be discharged from the hospital, we had been knowledgeable by the well being employee of the necessity to use condoms for safer intercourse till my semen take a look at was confirmed destructive”, added Shafiq.

What’s extra, Shafiq’s semen needs to be examined each month, a scenario that may be anxious, however well being professionals advise and reassure him to reduce his anxiousness.

“Viral persistence monitoring in semen entails, month-to-month semen pattern testing from all eligible male survivors (i.e., male survivors aged 16 years and above) till they obtain two consecutive destructive outcomes. Throughout this era, safer intercourse counselling and practices together with the usage of condoms is suggested,” defined Dr. Rony Bahatungire, Appearing Commissioner of the Division of Medical Providers at Uganda’s Ministry of Well being.

“Monitoring viral persistence is an important a part of the Ebola survivor programme, as a single male survivor can result in a brand new outbreak,” Dr. Bahatungire added.

Chris Opesen, an anthropologist on the World Well being Group (WHO) in Uganda, explains that there are a number of obstacles, together with spiritual and cultural ones, to males providing semen samples for testing throughout viral persistence monitoring. It has additionally been tough for companions to just accept the usage of condoms.

“By way of efficient communication, counselling, and listening to the obstacles confronted by well being staff and survivors, the programme has performed a key position in overcoming these obstacles,” defined Opesen.

Shafiq, like many different survivors, follows the well being staff’ recommendation diligently. He frequently goes for the month-to-month semen testing and constantly makes use of condoms. He doesn’t need to danger anybody else getting sick as he genuinely cares about his well being and the well being of others.

 *Title modified to guard identification.