At Butabika National Referral Hospital, wards meant for a few hundred patients are now filled far beyond capacity, with some patients sharing space as demand for mental health care surges. Doctors and nurses move quickly between patients, many of them young, as the country faces a growing mental health crisis. Juliet Nakku says the number…
Health workers in Kalangala District have raised concern that excessive alcohol consumption is undermining efforts to prevent HIV in the island district. They say widespread alcoholism is driving risky sexual behaviour and weakening community commitment to HIV prevention. Edinance Nalubega, in-charge of the ART clinic at Lulamba Health Centre III in Bufumira Sub-county, says many…
Leaders in Agago District, with support from the Lutheran World Federation (LWF), have launched a door-to-door hygiene and sanitation verification campaign across several sub-counties to address poor sanitation and prevent disease outbreaks. The exercise, currently underway in Kuywee, Lirakato, Lokole, and Wol sub-counties, targets villages including Atut Arweny, Kidunga, Lapwa, Agwata Wil, Omukugungu, Lakwil, and…
Parliament on Thursday passed the National Drug and Health Products Authority Bill, 2025, amid growing concern over the proliferation of illicit and potentially harmful drinks on the Ugandan market. The debate took a dramatic turn when Kazo County MP Dan Kimosho Atwijukire tabled 25 beverage products seized from different parts of the country as evidence.…
A section of cultural and religious leaders from the Bukedi and Busoga sub-regions has resolved to unite in a bid to combat rising teenage pregnancies. Health authorities say the situation is worsening. In Busoga, the teenage pregnancy rate stands at 28 percent, while Bukedi records 26 percent—both above the national average of 24 percent. The…
Health authorities in Kagadi District have confirmed a measles outbreak that has so far claimed five lives, raising concern among residents and local leaders. The outbreak has been reported in Kyakabadima, Kyaterekera, and Ndaiga sub-counties, with children aged one to five years the most affected. According to Kagadi District Health Educator Aisha Justine Tumwebaze, the…
Concern is mounting among leaders and residents in Soroti City following allegations of widespread extortion and inadequate medical services at Princess Diana Health Centre IV, a government facility expected to provide affordable healthcare. The matter surfaced during a recent Soroti City Council sitting, where leaders raised concerns that patients are being forced to pay for…
Uganda has registered a significant decline in leprosy cases over the past four years, signaling steady progress in efforts to eliminate the disease. According to the Health Ministry, reported cases dropped from 581 in 2022 to 203 in 2025. The milestone was announced on Tuesday during national celebrations to mark World TB and Leprosy Day…
With global cholera vaccine stocks at an all-time high, preventive vaccination is allowing Mozambique to get out ahead of outbreak risk. 9 March 2026 by Winile Ximba Despite a blow from a season of bad floods, Mozambique’s preventative cholera vaccine drive has notched up wins. Mozambique is the first country in the world to restart…
In rural Uganda a lack of reliable power means mothers are often forced to give birth in the dark. Now a new solarisation project is bringing light and reliable electricity to health centres across the country. 16 March 2026 by John Musenze At a glance Like many health centres in Uganda, Nakifuma Health Centre III…