THE LANCET: One in eight deaths in 2019 linked to bacterial infections, the second leading cause of death globally

Common bacterial infections were the second leading cause of death in 2019, and were linked to one in eight deaths globally, according to an analysis published in The Lancet. There were 7.7 million deaths in 2019 associated with 33 common bacterial infections, with five bacteria alone connected to more than half of all deaths. The…

Uganda distributed 60 percent less bed nets compromising its vector control efforts

Uganda has been listed among countries that didn’t fully utilize one of the malaria prevention strategies of bed net distribution in 2021.  According to new data released by the World Health Organization-WHO on Thursday, the country distributed less than 60 percent of the nets that they were supposed to distribute. Uganda is categorized together with…

COVID-19 burden lessens in Africa, vigilance crucial as year-end season begins

While Africa is witnessing its lowest level of new COVID-19 cases since the onset of the pandemic, a recent four-week rise—the first such sustained increase in four months—underscores the criticality of maintaining vigilance as the end-year holiday seasons sets in. The continent recorded a four-week long rise until 20 November, but the number of new…

About 2,000 teenage girls got pregnant per annum during the COVID-19 pandemic

Nearly 2,000 baby deliveries by teenagers were registered at the various health facilities at the Bidi Bidi Refugee settlement at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic in Uganda. Records at the International Rescue Committee (IRC) indicate that over 4,000 girls under 18 years reported their first Antenatal Care (ANC) visit at various health facilities in Bidibidi…