Sky High: Buliisa district records 417 teenage pregnancies in three months

Health experts in Buliisa have raised concerns about the increasing cases of teenage pregnancies.  Statistics at the district health department indicate that the district recorded 417 cases of teenage pregnancies between January and March this year.  Dr. Alex Afeti, the Buliisa District Health officer-DHO says that of the 1,898 total pregnancies registered at the various…

Ethionamide Dropped from TB Treatment due to Complaints of Manhood Problems

The antibiotic drug Ethionamide has been discontinued as a treatment option for tuberculosis (TB) due to numerous complaints from men experiencing manhood problems. Ethionamide, a second-line therapy for TB, was commonly used in combination with other drugs for the treatment of Multi-Drug Resistant (MDR) TB.  However, the reported side effects have led health experts to…

Reduced Budget Allocation to Health and Social Development Worries Activists, Legislators

The proposed national budget for the financial year 2023/24 in Uganda has raised concerns among health and political activists, as well as legislators, due to reduced allocations for the health and social development sectors. While the budget amount has increased to Shillings 52 trillion, a rise of four trillion Shillings from the previous year, the…

First phase 3 trial of a chikungunya vaccine candidate finds it is generally safe and provokes an immune response

The VLA1553 vaccine candidate for chikungunya disease was generally well tolerated and produced an immune response in 99% or (263/266) of participants, according to a phase 3 randomised controlled trial published in The Lancet. Because the study, VLA1553-301, was not conducted in regions where chikungunya is endemic, researchers were unable to investigate whether the vaccine…

Vintage Health Technologies combines Artificial Intelligence (AI) with real-world experience to boost the Nigerian health system

Nigeria’s health system is getting a major boost from Artificial Intelligence (AI) technology through a new international health partnership.  Vantage Health Technologies, an international health technology provider – part of the BroadReach Group – is teaming up with Nigeria’s Network for Health Equity and Development (NHED), a public health and development non-profit organisation. NHED harnesses…

New Guidelines to Shorten Treatment Duration for Multi-Drug Resistant Tuberculosis

Patients battling Multi-Drug Resistant Tuberculosis (MDR-TB) in Uganda will soon benefit from a significant reduction in their treatment duration. Doctors anticipate that this change will help decrease the number of unnecessary deaths caused by TB and reduce the high cost of treatment per person. MDR-TB is a form of tuberculosis infection caused by bacteria that…

Enact Law to Declare President’s Health says Odonga-Otto

Former Aruu County Member of Parliament Samuel Odonga-Otto has proposed that the 11th Parliament consider enacting a law to regulate the declaration of sickness, health, and death of a sitting President. This proposal comes in light of President Yoweri Museveni’s self-isolation at State House Nakasero after testing positive for COVID-19. Odonga-Otto refers to a report…

Shocking: Mukono General Hospital registers 3.5 percent still births and four mothers die per month

Legislators within Mukono district, joined by the Leader of Opposition in Parliament -LOP in Parliament for an oversight activity in the area were on Monday shocked by cases of stillbirth happening at Mukono General Hospital. Mukono Hospital Medical Superintendent, Geoffrey Kasirye told the legislators that every month on average, the facility registers about 20 stillbirth…