At the World Health Assembly of 1974, countries committed to a programme of routine childhood vaccination. In 1978, Ghana put its pledge into practice. The years since have seen profound, if not always linear, progress. 28 May 2024 by Francis Kokutse Abednego Piedu, a Principal Community Health Nurse, stores a medical delivery into a fridge at…
BGI Genomics has launched its first cervical cancer screening program in Africa, with Rwanda being the initial beneficiary. Initiated in Ngoma District in the Eastern Province of Rwanda, the program will provide 20,000 Human papillomavirus (HPV) DNA tests for local women, aiming to enhance cervical cancer screening and prevention efforts and improve local precision medical…
By Esther Nakkazi In the contemporary academia and the research world, scientific excellence, which brings promotions and recognitions heavily rely on metrics such as the publication’s impact factor, researchers’ ability to secure grants, citation counts and others. This may introduce bias and lacks a wholistic perspective and may not necessarily constitute a proper definition of excellence…
Why do people protest, and do protests work? Protests have long been a powerful tool for social change, but what motivates individuals to take to the streets, and what factors contribute to the effectiveness of such movements? These questions were at the forefront of a thought-provoking lecture held on May 6, 2023, organized by SciLine…
Residents of Nalukero Village in Bulange Sub-County, Namutumba District, are adopting a smart home approach to combat malaria in their community. Earlier this year, an outbreak of severe malaria in Mazuba and Bulange sub-counties resulted in tragic losses, particularly among children. In response, the Ministry of Health and organizations like the USAID Social and Behavior…
Ugandan health advocates, along with their counterparts in the global south, are urging for equity, accountability, and financing to be central to the next global pandemic agreement. They emphasize that such an agreement should prioritize fairness in access to health resources and ensure robust mechanisms for pandemic security. This call from various health-related civil society…
The Uganda Cancer Institute (UCI) has been the recipient of cancer screening equipment valued at Shillings 400 million, courtesy of The Korean Foundation for International Health Care (KOFIH). This donation holds particular significance for Uganda, given its substantial burden of cancer, especially cervical cancer among women. Dr. James Chakachon, from the Ministry of Health’s Department…
In the global effort to get immunisation back on track post-pandemic, the east African nation has emerged as a frontrunner. 1 May 2024 by Syriacus Buguzi, Gavi Staff Saumu Ramadhani, a Community Health Worker (CHW) in Kwa Mtoro, a village in central Tanzania, witnessed the backsliding of immunisation efforts as COVID-19 swept the globe, sparking panic.…
Recently approved malaria vaccines have reinvigorated hopes of eliminating the disease, but other innovations are in development that could further bolster these efforts. 12 March 2024 by Linda Geddes Malaria vaccination in Cameroon. Credit: Gavi/2024/Go’tham Industry Malaria is one of the greatest infectious killers in human history and, despite recent control efforts, an estimated 600,000…
It’s been true since Edward Jenner’s day: finding a vaccine is just the first step. Getting it out into the world demands a lot more problem-solving. 30 April 2024 by Gavi Staff A special tray with an inset ice-pack helps health workers in often-sweltering Mumbai keep different vaccines at their optimal temperatures once…
