The Gates Foundation has announced a $2.5 billion commitment through 2030 to accelerate research and development (R&D) focused exclusively on women’s health. It will support the advancement of more than 40 innovations in five critical, chronically underfunded areas—particularly those affecting women in low- and middle-income countries. “For too long, women have suffered from health conditions…
Krystal Birungi, an Ugandan scientist and Research and Outreach Associate at Target Malaria Uganda, contributed to a new book, bringing together the reflection of global voices on the notion of hope. Edited by Norwegian entrepreneur Osvald Bjelland and titled “Hope for Life on Our Planet: Inspiration for Seven Generations”, the collection features essays and reflections…
Three-year-old Armane from rural Madagascar can now smile without shame, thanks to a life-changing cleft lip surgery provided by international charity Mercy Ships (www.MercyShips.org). For his mother, Roseline, the day of Armane’s birth was filled with both relief and fear. After a long and difficult labor in a remote rice field, she was handed her…
Mpox has devastated communities across Africa. In Uganda a novel text alert system is helping health workers to contain an outbreak. 28 July 2025 by Esther Nakkazi Edith Nalunga, a nurse and public health surveillance specialist based at Nabweru Health Centre III in Uganda’s Wakiso District, is talking to a patient at her desk when…
Burundi authorities are racing to vaccinate thousands of vulnerable refugee children who have fled conflict in the neighbouring Democratic Republic of the Congo, and head off brewing outbreaks. 30 July 2025 by Diane Ndonse Since the start of 2025, more than 70,000 Congolese nationals have sought refuge in Burundi, according to the UN Refugee Agency.…
A recent performance review meeting of the Maternal and Child Health (MCH) Technical Working Group (TWG) on July 18, 2025, shed light on the varying stock levels of essential Reproductive, Maternal, Newborn, Child, and Adolescent Health (RMNCAH) commodities across Uganda. While some vital supplies are robustly stocked, concerns remain over critical shortfalls in certain areas…
Uganda’s Maternal, Newborn, Child, and Adolescent Health (RMNCAH) sector has presented its Q3 performance review, drawing data from the DHIS2 system, revealing a landscape of mixed progress with several persistent challenges in critical areas. While some indicators show improvements, others highlight significant gaps and regional disparities that demand urgent attention. Family Planning: Declining Protection and…
FamilyConnect, a digital health platform in Uganda, has demonstrated a positive impact on maternal and child health (MCH) services, according to a recent study. The platform was developed to address the challenge faced by mothers and their next of kin, particularly in underserved and hard-to-reach areas, who often struggle to access crucial health information and…
The latest State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World (SOFI 2025) report presents a complex and nuanced picture of global hunger, revealing both encouraging progress and deeply concerning setbacks. While the world saw an overall decline in hunger in 2024, significant regional disparities highlight the persistent challenges in achieving Sustainable Development Goal 2,…
In Ghana, a state-of-the-art university laboratory is training a new generation of African scientists to develop treatments for malaria, tuberculosis and cancer. 24 July 2025 by Claudia Lacave Testing starts small. Hagar Afriyie, a 29-year-old master’s student, selects reagents from the lab fridge, mixes them in a flask, and waits – after 30 to 120…