Category Archives: News

Nigeria’s Swipha Achieves WHO Prequalification for Malaria Drug in Milestone for African Manufacturing

Nigerian pharmaceutical manufacturer Swipha has received prequalification from the World Health Organization (WHO) for their sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine (SP), a key medication used to prevent malaria in pregnant women. This marks a major achievement in Africa’s fight against malaria, particularly in Nigeria, which bears the highest malaria burden globally. The company underwent a rigorous process to submit…

In Mozambique’s Zambezia province, mothers go the extra mile to get kids protected with malaria vaccines

Mozambique introduced the malaria vaccine in its worst-hit province on 5 August 2024. 15 August 2024 by Charles Mangwiro Isaura Viera arrived at the Sangariveira Health Unit, in Quelimane, coastal Mozambique, visibly exhausted after walking for four hours carrying her two-year-old son, the youngest of her four children. Having no transportation money, she knew she’d have…

Incorporating risk management in health facilities improves health outcomes while boosting financial efficiency

By Francis Edonyu and Benon Tumwine Health facilities, especially those that provide primary health care services to indigenous populations, operate in resource constrained and hard-to-reach-hard-to-stay settings. This begs the question of how such facilities are expected to meaningfully contribute to the ideals of universal health coverage and deliver quality health benefits and wellbeing to communities, affordably and in responsiveness…

Optimizing Private Wings in Public Health Facilities to Strengthen Uganda’s Healthcare System

By Francis Edonyu & Benon Tumwine Uganda’s health system operates a two-tier payment system in an attempt to bridge the funding gap for public facilities. This means that some public facilities are allowed to operate private wings at full or partial cost recovery. The government has fostered the growth of this system, acknowledging the challenges Ugandans face in…

New Research Reveals Ongoing Challenges in Diagnosing and Managing Drug-Resistant TB in Six African Countries

New research shows the diagnosis and management of drug-resistant tuberculosis (DR-TB) remains a serious challenge in six African countries. An in-depth analysis of DR-TB data from Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Niger, Senegal, Togo between 2018 and 2022, led by The Union, found that the diagnostic capacity for multidrug-resistant TB (MDR-TB) was “globally insufficient”. The study,…

Qure.ai Secures Indian Patent Marking Breakthrough in AI-Powered Lung Abnormality Detection

Qure.ai, a global leader in healthcare AI, has been awarded its 12th patent in India by the Indian Patent Office for “A system and method for detecting lung abnormalities in a medical image.” This milestone marks Qure.ai’s first patent involving a large language model (LLM), underscoring the company’s cutting-edge advancements in medical imaging and AI.…

Zipline drones wing vaccines to malaria-prone western Kenya

From rabies post-exposure prophylactics to measles and malaria vaccines, drones are getting life-saving shots to kids in remote parts of Kisumu. 12 August 2024 by Joseph Maina Few things interrupt the unflustered tranquillity of Tama, a village in the lush flatlands of the Muhoroni region of Kisumu County in western Kenya. Save for the rumble of…

Pearl Baine: From Grief Survivor to Therapist

I lost my father James Sallies Lwanga to a COVID-related heart attack in 2021, and it shattered me. I spiraled into depression, suffered cardiac arrests, panic attacks, and became suicidal. I felt like I was losing my mind. My family, despite their best efforts, almost gave up on me because nothing seemed to help. My…

Breastfeeding Rates Improve in Kampala, But Experts Urge Continued Support for Working Mothers

Experts are raising alarms over a worrying trend in Kampala, where many mothers are abandoning exclusive breastfeeding in favor of alternative feeds as their babies grow. This shift, they warn, poses serious risks to infant health and development. Samalie Namukose, the Assistant Commissioner for Nutrition at the Ministry of Health, addressed the issue during a…

Residents and Health Workers Demand Upgrade of Kabwoya Health Center III Amidst Overwhelming Patient Load and Drug Shortages

Residents and health workers are calling for the elevation of Kabwoya Health Center III, located in Kabwoya sub-county in Kikuube district, to the status of a Health Center IV. This demand stems from the facility’s struggle to cope with the high patient load, which averages between 100 to 150 patients daily, some of whom travel…