Facial recognition for dogs? In Tanzania, it’s helping keep track of rabies vaccination

Microchipping is expensive; paper vaccination booklets can get lost or swapped. So how can vaccinators ensure canine community members aren’t at risk of contracting – and transmitting – rabies? There’s an app for that, learns James Karuga. 23 April 2024 by James Karuga On a typical day, Godbless Felix, a rabies vaccinator, enters a home accompanied…

African Nations Launch Large-Scale Malaria Vaccine Rollout

In a significant stride toward malaria prevention in Africa, Benin, Liberia, and Sierra Leone commenced a large-scale rollout of the life-saving malaria vaccine targeting millions of children across the three West African nations. This initiative, announced on World Malaria Day, aims to enhance vaccine deployment in the African region. The launch extends access to comprehensive…

New WHO Data Reveals Alarming Antibiotic Overuse During COVID-19, Particularly in African Region

New evidence from the World Health Organization (WHO) shows the extensive overuse of antibiotics during the COVID-19 pandemic worldwide, which may have exacerbated “silent” spread of antimicrobial resistance (AMR). While only 8% of hospitalized patients with COVID-19 had bacterial co-infections requiring antibiotics, three out of four or some 75% of patients have been treated with…

New Handbook by Dr. Sendagire Enhances Health Worker Practices in Laboratory Specimen Collection

Dr. Hakim Sendagire, a lecturer and researcher at Makerere University College of Health Sciences, has authored a comprehensive handbook titled ‘Correct Collection of Laboratory Specimens,’ offering a meticulous guide for health workers conducting laboratory tests. Released during Medical Laboratory Week, celebrated annually from April 14 to 20th, the book aims to underscore the pivotal role…

Tragic Road Accidents Claim 79 Lives in only one week in Uganda

Seventy-nine people lost their lives, and 288 others sustained injuries in road accidents in one week ending 21April, as revealed by the Uganda Police. Michael Kananura, the traffic police spokesperson, highlighted that the majority of the victims were either motorcycle riders or pedestrians. Out of the 79 fatalities, 29 were motorcyclists, 23 were pedestrians, and…