The United States $100 billion investment in the fight against HIV/AIDS has empowered partner nations to better respond to disease threats and improve people’s lives. Launched in 2003, the U.S. President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) has saved over 25 million lives and helped 5.5 million babies be born HIV-free. HIV-related deaths have dropped…
The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) has reported that over 10 million Ugandans still lack access to safe drinking water, while close to 15 million lack access to sanitation services. According to the USAID, Uganda Mission Director Richard Nelson, government needs to prioritize sanitation and hygiene when planning and allocating resources. “And much…
The government of Uganda is rolling out a nationwide vaccination campaign against the potentially fatal yellow fever disease. Dr. Diana Atwine, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Health, made the announcement on Tuesday at an orientation event with members of the country’s media. The three-phase campaign is expected to conclude in 2021, while preparations…
Health experts from eight member countries of the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) have singled out gaps in nutrition surveillance as one of the biggest reasons impeding them from tackling the high burden of malnutrition in the region. Speaking to journalists on the sidelines of a nutrition knowledge-sharing workshop held in Munyonyo on Wednesday, Dr.…
A new Makerere University School of Public Health study has revealed that the majority of adult Ugandans lack adequate fertility awareness, affecting their decisions on family planning choices. Dr Simon Peter Kibira offered further insights of the survey conducted within Buyende, Mbale and Mukono districts on male and female participants ranging between 15-49 years. Results…
The first ever clinical trial on neonatal sepsis has got underway in three public hospitals in Kenya and South Africa. The NeoSep1 trial will evaluate new combinations of existing antibiotics and compare them to treatment regimens that are currently used in newborn babies with suspected neonatal sepsis. This is vital in the face of rising resistance…
Food rights activist David Kabanda has threatened to take the government to court over its failure to solve the problem of food insecurity. Kabanda, the Executive Director of the NGO Center for Food and Adequate Living Rights (CEFROHT), said that he is compiling evidence and will soon challenge the issue of continued food contamination in…
The Ministry of Health has confirmed that there is an ongoing wave of a viral influenza or flu illness circulating within the population.Refuting claims made on social media and several media reports that people are being hospitalized with a strange flu-like illness. Dr Henry Mwebesa the Director General of Health Services said in a statement…
The World Health Organization (WHO) has launched its first-ever comprehensive framework on reducing anemia calling on countries to accelerate action to halve anemia prevalence in women of reproductive age by 2025. Anemia remains a serious global public health problem, affecting 571 million women and 269 million young children worldwide, according to data from the organization. The complication, which is…
The Uganda Heart Institute (UHI) has sounded an alarm over the increasing number of people battling hypertension saying this is putting a strain on health facilities. Speaking at a media session held on Friday ahead of the World Hypertension Day to be marked next week, Dr James Kayima, a Consultant Cardiologist at the Institute says…