Faith-based organisations affirm commitment to build capacity in family planning

In preparation for the upcoming International Conference on Family Planning (ICFP), members of the faith community are reaffirming their commitment to build the capacities of faith-based organizations in family planning advocacy.  The ICFP Faith Subcommittee will hold a pre-conference on November 13 that will unpack tools and strategies that can be used to engage religious leaders, youth and…

U.S. Ambassador Natalie E. Brown at 2022 National HIV and AIDS Symposium Remarks

The United States government recognizes that a healthy population is the foundation for a country’s social and economic development.   Almost 20 years ago on January 28, 2003, while announcing the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), then U.S. President George W. Bush said, “We must remember our calling, as a blessed country, to…

Child’s death after vaccination leads to health workers’ arrest

Vaccines save lives. But the sudden death of a baby shortly after vaccination has landed two medical workers at Daphine Medical center in Kabalagala in Kampala in trouble. Dr. Doreen Akuku and Joan Nabakooza, a nurse at the facility. The two are locked up at Kabalagala Police Station in connection to the death of nine-month-old Messiah on Friday evening…

National Drug Authority Closes Over 800 Outlets for Operating Illegally

The Uganda National Drugs Authority (NDA) has closed over 830 drug outlets in the Northern Region for operating illegally.  The drug shops include two pharmacies, 48 human and veterinary drug shops, and 16 clinics among others.   NDA has also recovered and impounded stolen medical equipment and government drugs worth UGX 1.7 Billion Shillings during…

A new weapon against antibiotic-resistant bacteria

A team from the University of Geneva (UNIGE) has discovered that edoxudine, an anti-herpes molecule discovered in the 60s, weakens the protective surface of Klebsiella bacteria and makes them easier to eliminate for immune cells. These results can be read in the journal PLOS ONE.  Klebsiella pneumoniae causes many respiratory, intestinal and urinary tract infections.…

Plans to decentralise cancer treatments are too slow

The Uganda Cancer Institute is overwhelmed. Prime Minister, Robinah Nabbanja while on a tour on Wednesday said lack of funding and competing priorities are delaying the government’s efforts to decentralize cancer treatment in Uganda.  The plans to decentralise cancer treatment were announced way back in 2018. Back then, the government announced plans to establish five…

About one million children die every year due to lead poisoning says the WHO

Each year, an estimated 1 million people, die from lead poisoning.   Millions more, many of them children, are exposed to low levels of lead causing lifelong health problems, including anaemia, hypertension, immunotoxicity and toxicity to the reproductive organs. The neurological and behavioural effects of lead could be irreversible.  “Lead exposure is especially dangerous to…