WHO launches NTDs mentorship project in honour of Tanzania’s Dr Mwele Malecela

World Health Organization (WHO) and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation today announced plans to set up a mentorship programme for African women working in neglected tropical diseases programmes. The mentorship is in honour of the late Dr Mwele Malecela, who was one of Africa’s most highly respected female scientists and public health leaders. The mentorship programme will provide African women with leadership…

CHOGM: Rwanda and Bangladesh announce pact to champion mental health

The Foreign Ministers of Bangladesh and Rwanda have announced the Kigali-Dhaka Compact on Mental Health at a high-level dialogue held on the sidelines of the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) on 22 June. The event, which was held under the theme “Rethinking Mental Health: A Commonwealth Call to Empower, Care and Transform”, was hosted…

University of Rwanda implements project to access indoor air pollution

By RSIF The University of Rwanda’s Centre of Excellence on Internet of Things (IoT), Embedded Computing Systems with funding from the PASET Regional Scholarship’s competitive grants scheme, in close collaboration with a team from Makerere University is implementing a project to assess the levels of indoor air pollution in rural and urban communities in Rwanda.…

Parliament acknowledges need for legislation on contraceptives for adolescent girls

In the wake of the rising adolescent teenage pregnancies, Uganda Parliament has acknowledged the need for legislation on contraceptives access to safeguard adolescent girls against unplanned pregnancies. Thomas Tayebwa, the deputy speaker of Parliament made the observation while meeting a visiting delegation of British Lawmakers under their umbrella body All Party Parliamentary Group – APPG; health…

Understanding Vaccine Acceptance and Demand – Sabin Institute report

The Sabin Vaccine Institute released the Vaccine Acceptance Research Network 2022 (VARN2022) conference report: a synthesis of the discussions and research findings from global experts in anthropology, epidemiology, public health and medicine across the academia, government, civil society and other sectors, to share knowledge and set priorities at the intersection of immunization and social and…

Higher risk of high blood pressure after childbirth recorded in Ugandan women

Researchers are recording increased cases of pre-eclampsia after childbirth among women who had no prior history of high blood pressure. Women in Mbale are at a higher risk of getting affected with pre-eclampsia.  Pre-eclampsia is responsible for ~25% of deaths during childbirth in sub-Saharan Africa according to research.  Pre-eclampsia refers to a condition during pregnancy…