By Ritah Kemigisa
The government has been asked to pay urgent attention and invest more in research about the Duchenne muscular dystrophy disease.
The call comes from the Saphhire Foundation Director Paul Collins Rubaihayo a day after Uganda joined the rest of the world to commemorate the World Duchenne Awareness Day marked every September 7th.
According to Rubaihayo, research about this disease is important because many people in Uganda think its caused by witchcraft.
He adds that the majority of the people suffering from this disease are vulnerable and need a lot of support both financially and socially.
Rubaihayo meanwhile says the covid19 induced lockdowns have hugely affected physiotherapy services for persons with this condition.
Duchenne is a genetic rare disease that causes progressive muscle degeneration and weakness due to a nonfunctional protein called dystrophin, which helps keep muscle cells intact.