Uganda: Negative Perceptions Prevent uptake of 13 million COVID-19 Vaccines

The Ministry of Health still has 13.4 million unutilized COVID-19 vaccines, the Public Accounts Committee – PAC Central Government has learned. The Health Ministry Permanent Secretary, Dr. Diana Atwine, says that the country risks losing huge sums of money that was used to procure the vaccines if they expire without being utilized. Some of the vaccines are scheduled…

Malawi, Rwanda, Laos and Zambia Have Received COVID-19 Oral Treatments

The COVID Treatment Quick Start Consortium announced today that the governments of Zambia, Laos, Malawi and Rwanda have received shipments of PAXLOVID™ (nirmatrelvir/ritonavir), Pfizer’s COVID-19 oral treatment. Zambia was the first country to receive the treatment through the consortium, with an initial shipment of 1,000 courses of PAXLOVID™ reaching Lusaka in late December 2022 as…

Lacor Hospital Operates on 30 Children with Anorectal Malformation

St Mary`s Hospital Lacor in Gulu City has successfully operated on and treated thirty children with Anorectal malformation, a birth defect where a child presents without an anus or narrow anal opening.  Such children experience chronic constipation or difficulty in passing stool among others. The Acholi community widely attributes the condition to ‘’evil spirits’’ or bad omens…

Only 3% of the World’s Population is Protected by Mandatory Sodium Reduction Policies

A first-of-its-kind World Health Organization (WHO) Global report on sodium intake released on Wednesday shows the world is off-track to achieve its global target of reducing sodium intake by 30% by 2025. Sodium, an essential nutrient, increases the risk of heart disease, stroke, and premature death when eaten in excess. The main source of sodium…

Obstetricians Ask Government to provide low cost inventions to Save Mothers From Maternal Deaths

Experts have pointed out gaps in data as one of the challenges affecting the effective provision of Sexual and Reproductive Health (SRH) services.  While the provision of medical services is going digital globally, local obstetricians and Gynecologists under the Association of Obstetricians and Gynecologists of Uganda (AOGU) have expressed frustration over the fact that they still have…