Uganda is experiencing increased infectious disease risks, with suspected cases of typhoid fever and dysentery rising above expected levels, according to the Ministry of Health’s weekly epidemiological bulletin. The report indicates that observed cases of typhoid and dysentery exceeded the established alert threshold, which is based on the average number of weekly cases recorded over…
Uganda recorded an increase in maternal deaths in the second week of April, even as national disease surveillance systems continue to face reporting challenges, according to the Ministry of Health’s latest epidemiological bulletin. A total of 17 maternal deaths were reported in epidemiological week 15 (April 6–12, 2026), up from nine deaths the previous week,…
Donors have pledged more than $800 million to launch a new investment round for the Global Financing Facility (GFF), a World Bank–hosted partnership aimed at accelerating reductions in maternal and child deaths. The GFF announced $806 million in new commitments from governments and philanthropic partners in support of its five-year TRANSFORM 2030 strategy, unveiled on…
What does it mean for a country to step away from a law designed to confront one of its most widespread forms of violence? In Uganda, the scale of sexual violence is neither abstract nor anecdotal, it is measurable, persistent, and deeply rooted. Data from the Uganda Demographic and Health Surveys (UDHS) paints a troubling picture.…
Parliament has urged the government to allocate an additional UGX71.47 billion to expand the Social Assistance Grant for Empowerment (SAGE) programme, following a Cabinet directive to lower the eligibility age from 80 to 65 years. The proposal was presented by Agnes Kunihira, Chairperson of Parliament’s Committee on Gender, Labour and Social Development, during plenary on…
Nigeria will host the world’s highest-level ministerial meeting on antimicrobial resistance (AMR) for the first time on African soil, marking a significant shift in global efforts to address one of the leading public health threats. The 5th High-Level Ministerial Meeting on AMR is scheduled for June 28–30, 2026, in Abuja under the theme “One Health…
The Government of Iceland has joined Denmark and Sweden in a multi-donor partnership to support sexual and reproductive health programmes in Uganda, committing $3 million (about Shs11 billion) to the Strengthening Adolescents and Youth Empowerment and Rights (SAY Plus+) Programme. The agreement was signed between the Government of Iceland and United Nations Population Fund, which…
The urology clinic at Mbarara Regional Referral Hospital is grappling with a growing backlog of patients suffering from urethral stricture, a condition that causes narrowing of the urethra and disrupts urine flow in men. Dr. Marvin Mwesigwa, a urologist at the hospital, said the weekly clinic, held every Friday, attends to at least three new…
Uganda’s Ministry of Health is set to initiate the rollout of long-acting injectable lenacapavir for HIV prevention, beginning at Lira Regional Referral Hospital. The introduction follows 2025 guidance from the World Health Organization (WHO) recommending lenacapavir as an additional pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) option. Administered twice yearly, lenacapavir represents a departure from daily oral regimens and…
The Oxford–ZEISS Centre of Excellence in Biomedical Imaging and ZEISS have entered a proof-of-principle phase to develop a cutting-edge imaging technology capable of precisely measuring how drugs behave within cells and tissues, a breakthrough that could transform drug development. The technology, known as Selective Plane Illumination Lattice Light Sheet Microscopy (SPI LLSM), enables scientists to…