By Christine Namayanja On Thursday, June 12, 2025, the Parliament allocated a groundbreaking UGX 4.48 trillion to the health sector budget for FY 2025/26, nearly doubling last year’s allocation and now representing 8.1% of the national budget, marking the highest proportion ever. I extend heartfelt gratitude to the Parliament and the Government of Uganda for prioritizing…
Smile Train, the world’s largest cleft-focused organization, has officially opened a state-of-the-art Cleft Leadership Center (CLC) at Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH) in Kumasi. Dubbed the National Cleft Care Center – A Smile Train Cleft Leadership Center, the facility is now the largest cleft care center on the African continent. At nearly 30,000 square feet,…
A new study published in The Lancet has raised urgent concerns about the global health consequences of recent cuts to U.S. foreign aid. The study, estimates that 91 million deaths were prevented between 2001 and 2021 in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) thanks to programs supported by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID),…
Uganda’s booming fertility industry has operated in a legal vacuum for years, but that may soon change. After nearly two years of delay, Parliament is preparing to debate the long-anticipated Human Assisted Reproductive Technology Bill, 2023, a private member’s bill that aims to bring legal clarity to a sector driven by increasing demand for services…
Uganda’s StrongMinds, a mental health organisation with a proven track record of treating depression through interpersonal group therapy, is forging ahead with its mission despite a critical blow: the premature termination of a $1 million USAID grant due to recent US government funding cuts. The cuts, triggered by a sweeping executive order in early 2025,…
Exposure to fine particulate matter (PM2.5) during pregnancy may significantly increase the risk of childhood overweight or obesity, according to a major European study led by the Barcelona Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal), a center supported by the ”la Caixa” Foundation. The findings, published in Environment International, are based on data from over 37,000 mother-child…
Increasing physical activity between the ages of 45 and 65 may help prevent Alzheimer’s disease, while a sedentary lifestyle could accelerate brain changes linked to the condition, according to a new study published in Alzheimer’s & Dementia: The Journal of the Alzheimer’s Association. The findings underscore the importance of promoting exercise as a preventive public…
During sleep, the brain must achieve a delicate balance: disconnecting from sensory input to allow restorative functions, while remaining alert enough to wake if danger arises. How does it sort through external stimuli – particularly sounds – during sleep? Scientists from the University of Geneva (UNIGE) and the Institut Pasteur have studied how the brain…
Global leaders yesterday pledged more than US$ 9 billion in support of Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, at the Global Summit: Health and Prosperity through Immunisation held in Brussels. The commitments bring Gavi significantly closer to its US$ 11.9 billion target for its next strategic period (2026–2030), but a funding gap remains. Co-hosted by the European…
Cells depend on the precise reading of DNA sequences to function correctly. This process, known as gene expression, determines which genetic instructions are activated. When it fails, the wrong parts of the genome can be activated, leading to cancers and neurodevelopmental disorders. Scientists at the University of Geneva (UNIGE) have identified two proteins that play…