The US government has re-established volunteer service in Uganda following a two-year break-off occasioned by COVID-19, an epidemic that paralysed nations and the global economy. A total of 33 volunteers under the US Peace Corps now in Uganda to serve in agribusiness, health and education sectors across the country have taken their oath of service…
While Uganda is battling with Ebola, another outbreak of Crimean Congo Hemorrhagic Fever is also here. 24 people have been placed under close monitoring by health authorities in Amuru District following an outbreak of Crimean Congo Hemorrhagic Fever (CCHF). The individuals are close contacts of a victim who succumbed to the viral disease late last…
Uganda is to benefit from a USD 5 million emergency fund provided by the World Health Organization to fight the spread of Ebola in the country and the neighbouring countries. So far, 39 people have died in Uganda, according to the Ministry of Health, while overall, there have been 64 confirmed cases and 20 probable…
Researchers at Queen’s University Belfast have designed a new bandage treatment, known as a scaffold, to treat diabetic foot ulcers, which is cost-effective while improving patient outcomes. Produced by 3D bioprinting, the scaffolds slowly release antibiotics over a four-week period to effectively treat the wound. Diabetes, a lifelong condition that causes a person’s blood sugar…
The African Traditional Medicine Day took place on Wednesday 31 August 2022. Dr Jane Namukobe from Uganda has a background in natural products chemistry. She has worked on drug formulation and drug discovery from medicinal plants. She was interviewed by HEJNU Founder Esther Nakkazi and here are the details: What are some of the herbal medicines you are…
A new web app has been launched to make it super easy for journalists in Kenya and Uganda to find researchers for science stories. The Script Connect app is part of the Script science communication programme by SciDev.Net, funded by the Robert Bosch Foundation. It works like a ‘speed-dating’ app, linking journalists to scientists in…
As a respiratory disease, COVID-19 infection mainly affects the lungs. While most people recover completely, a significant number of individuals experience symptoms that can persist for weeks or months post COVID infection, sometimes referred to as ‘long-COVID’. It remains unclear whether these symptoms are associated with any long-term damage that reduces the function of the…
To combat these deadly menaces, a professor in Virginia Tech’s College of Agriculture and Life Sciences is researching a state of relaxation that is integral to both insects and humans alike. Clément Vinauger, an assistant professor in the Department of Biochemistry, received a two-year $430,000 R21 grant from the National Institutes of Health to research the sleep habits…
This week’s podcast is Ebola outbreak hits Uganda. Uganda is experiencing its first outbreak in a decade. This bout of the deadly Ebola disease is caused by the Sudan virus. This was announced by relevant health authorities in September. In this episode of Africa Science Focus, we find out more about the current outbreak in…
Some of the world’s leading experts on vaccines are discussing vaccine innovation at this year’s World Innovation Summit for Health, taking place in Doha, Qatar, in a hybrid format (physical and virtual attendance) on October 4-6, 2022. Dr. Soumya Swaminathan, Chief Scientist at World Health Organization (WHO); Dr. Jerome Kim, Director General of the International…