Global experts and survivors are sounding the alarm as progress toward ending female genital mutilation/cutting (FGM/C) and ensuring menstrual health falls dangerously behind schedule, despite 2030 targets set by world leaders. At the SHE & Rights session held in February 2026, ahead of the 70th Session of the UN Commission on the Status of Women,…

With just 58 months left to meet the 2030 deadline, global commitments to end female genital mutilation/cutting (FGM/C) and guarantee menstrual health for all are drifting off course. Although governments pledged under the Sustainable Development Goals to eliminate FGM/C and uphold dignity in menstrual health, the number of women and girls affected by FGM/C has…

Uganda has rolled out mandatory nationwide screening of newborns for sickle cell disease, a move health officials say will significantly reduce the disease’s contribution to under-five deaths and ease pressure on the country’s health system. Sickle cell disease (SCD) remains a major but under-recognized cause of child mortality in Uganda. Health ministry data show that…

As the world marks the International Day of Women and Girls in Science, and International Women’s Day approaches, Africa stands at a critical inflection point. These global moments are not about celebration alone. They are a call to recognise where power in science resides and who is already exercising it. Across the continent, women are…

The Auditor General, Edward Akol, has revealed that the National Medical Stores (NMS) lost more than UGX 8.04 billion through expired drugs in the 2024/2025 financial year, a sharp decline from the UGX 316 billion loss recorded the previous year. The disclosure is contained in the December 2025 Auditor General’s annual report, which was tabled…

Unsafe abortion is no longer predominantly a problem among teenage girls, as previously reported. New health surveillance data indicate that adult women—many married and in their prime reproductive years—now account for a growing share of abortion-related deaths in Uganda. Dr Aggrey Bameka, associate consultant in obstetrics and gynaecology at Buwenge General Hospital, said many women…

Residents of Namule, Igola, and Angorom in Getom Sub-county, Katakwi District, have urged the government to conduct regular indoor residual spraying and redistribute mosquito nets, citing a surge in mosquitoes in swampy areas such as Micoka and Aibapet. Abdalah Okeris and other residents said malaria remains the leading cause of illness and death, particularly among…

Uganda’s National Drug Authority (NDA) has closed more than 105 illegal drug outlets and impounded 260 boxes of assorted classified medicines worth about Shs65 million following a week-long enforcement operation in the Teso sub-region. Speaking at a press briefing at NDA offices in Soroti City, the Regional Inspector of Drugs for North Eastern Uganda, Dr…

Experts have revealed that many (especially) lean people are not seeking screening for diabetes despite the government’s having increased programmes aimed at creating awareness about Non – Communicable Diseases (NCDs). Dr Kauthrah Ntabadde, an Epidemiologist whose research focuses on population cardiometabolic health in African populations told URN that diabetes is still largely associated with weight…

Every morning, 78-year-old Justino Okello sits alone on a wooden stool outside his grass-thatched hut in Oryang Ojuma B village, Labongo Amida Sub-County, Kitgum District, watching passersby head off to their daily routines. His wife died five years ago. His four children—all daughters—are married and living elsewhere. Days often pass without anyone speaking to him.…

Kabale University has officially taken over Kisoro Primary Teachers’ College from Kisoro District Local Government to establish a Faculty of Health Sciences campus. The handover ceremony was held on Monday at the former PTC premises in Mikingo Village, Gasiza Ward, Southern Division in Kisoro District. It was witnessed by officials from the Ministry of Education…

Predicting tumour progression is one of the major challenges in oncology. Scientists at the University of Geneva (UNIGE) and the Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research have discovered that neutrophils, a type of immune cell, undergo reprogramming when they come into contact with the tumour ecosystem and contribute to its progression. They then produce a molecule…

Up to four in ten cancer cases worldwide could be prevented, according to a new global analysis from the World Health Organization (WHO) and its International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC). The study examines 30 preventable causes, including tobacco, alcohol, high body mass index, physical inactivity, air pollution, ultraviolet radiation – and for the first time…

The year 2026 has opened against a backdrop of stalled progress on gender equality, the right to health and broader development justice, with global data showing regression rather than reform. Even before the year began, the world was already off track. Rates of gender-based violence perpetrated by intimate partners and others have barely declined since…

The Ministry of Health (MOH) has begun integrating nineteen field epidemiologists who recently graduated from a United States-funded training program for epidemiologists and laboratory experts. Field epidemiologists are specialized health professionals trained to detect, investigate, and control disease outbreaks. Uganda has faced recurring epidemics, including Ebola, cholera, and COVID-19, highlighting the need for skilled professionals…