Uganda prosecutors, police raise concerns over forensic bill

The Office of the Directorate of Public Prosecutions (ODPP) and the Uganda Police Force (UPF) have raised concerns about provisions in the proposed Forensic and Scientific Analytical Bill, warning that it could undermine existing mandates of key criminal justice and regulatory institutions. The Bill, which has been tabled before Parliament three times, seeks to establish…

Mbarara Male, Female Medical Interns Dress Up in the Same Room

The Parliamentary Public Accounts Committee has directed the administrators of Mbarara Regional Referral Hospital to immediately provide a separate changing room for female and male students, as they currently share one changing room. The Deputy Chairperson of the committee, Hon. Gorreth Namugga, made the directive to the hospital administrators on Wednesday while appearing before the…

Unregulated sex enhancement market raises health risks in Uganda

For 150,000 shillings, Joel Obore promises more than a quick fix. He markets what he calls a “permanent” solution through AlphaMax M+ Coffee, an imported product he claims can treat a range of conditions—from cholesterol and kidney “blockages” to low sperm count. Using aggressive sales tactics, Obore presents the product as a medical breakthrough, often…

Soroti targets rising HIV infections among young people with new multi-agency plan

A new multi-agency initiative has been launched in Soroti City to curb rising HIV infections, with a focus on adolescents and young people amid growing concern over high transmission rates. The intervention, led by the Ministry of Health Uganda, the Uganda AIDS Commission and The AIDS Support Organisation, targets adolescent girls and young women aged…

Premature births rise at Gulu hospital amid health and social challenges

Gulu Regional Referral Hospital has recorded a sharp rise in premature births, raising concern among health workers despite ongoing efforts to promote safer pregnancies. The hospital, which serves the Acholi sub-region and parts of northern Uganda, registered 7,632 normal deliveries last year, alongside 4,062 caesarean sections, according to maternity ward in-charge Rose Akumu Olok. Seven…

Mulago hospital rolls out WhatsApp tool to track cancer test results

The Pathology Department at Mulago National Referral Hospital has introduced a WhatsApp-based system to help patients check the status of their biopsy results, easing long waits and cutting travel costs. The tool, developed by Dr. Sharif Musoke, an associate consultant pathologist, allows patients to receive updates remotely rather than returning repeatedly to the hospital. For…

In rural Uganda children with Down syndrome and their caregivers fight stigma and silence

The children come first—some shy, some playful, others clinging to their mothers’ dresses—each carrying a diagnosis that, in many Ugandan communities, is still misunderstood. Around them are their caregivers, mostly mothers, who have learned to navigate a world of whispered judgment, long hospital journeys, and, too often, abandonment. In Bukiike village in Nyenga Division, Buikwe…

European Medicines Agency backs single dose drug that could end sleeping sickness

In a milestone for global health research, the European Medicines Agency (EMA) has issued a positive scientific opinion for acoziborole, a single-dose oral treatment for gambiense human African trypanosomiasis—better known as sleeping sickness. The disease, caused by the parasite Trypanosoma brucei gambiense and transmitted by the tsetse fly, has long plagued rural communities across sub-Saharan…

Govt has Not yet Seen any Value-for-Money from Enhanced Doctors’ Pay

Jane Kyarisima Mwesiga, the Deputy Head of Public Service incharge of Performance and Service Delivery has expressed concern over the untamed dual employment among health workers employed by the government. While the government has since enhanced salaries for health workers following a series of strikes and complaints, Mwesiga says they have so far found no…