Researchers at the Makerere University Lung Institute are calling for a nationwide rollout of targeted interventions to improve tuberculosis (TB) screening and treatment uptake among men. The call follows a six-year study conducted in partnership with the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, which found that simple, gender-sensitive adjustments in TB services can significantly…
In many Ugandan homes, the birth of a child is a moment of celebration. But for thousands of families each year, that joy is quickly overshadowed by a diagnosis that can shape a child’s entire life. Across Uganda, about 20,000 babies are born annually with sickle cell disease—a genetic condition that causes severe pain, recurrent…
For over a decade, Uganda was hailed as a success story in the fight against malaria. Between 2009 and 2019, parasite prevalence among children under five fell from 45% to just 9%. But new data signals a worrying reversal. The 2024 Malaria Indicator Survey shows prevalence has risen to 12.5%, with some regions recording even…
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…