A new once-monthly oral HIV prevention drug, MK-8527, has shown a favorable safety profile and promising pharmacokinetics, according to interim results from a phase 2 study presented on July 14 at the IAS 2025 conference in Kigali (Abstract 6515). In the randomized, double-blind, multicenter trial involving 350 participants—over half of them women—MK-8527 was well tolerated…
A modelling study presented at IAS 2025 in Kigali (Abstract 6731) estimates that the suspension of PEPFAR funding for HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) in sub-Saharan Africa could result in over 6,600 new HIV infections in just one year, primarily among key populations. Researchers projected 5,663 additional infections among female sex workers, men who have sex…
Uganda signaled a bold new chapter in its health sector by raising the national health budget and laying out a comprehensive roadmap to achieve Universal Health Coverage (UHC) through sustainable financing and system-wide reforms. For the 2025/26 financial year, the government allocated UGX 4.48 trillion to the health sector, almost double its allocations last financial…
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…