A joint mental health outreach camp in Northern Uganda has already surpassed its target after more than 600 people sought services in the first two days, with organisers reporting a high number of depression cases accompanied by suicidal tendencies. The three-day Northern Uganda Joint Partner Mental Health Integrated Health Camp being held at Gulu Prison…
A free health camp in Mbale City has detected cases of cancer, hypertension and diabetes among residents who were previously unaware that they had the conditions, prompting health workers to call for increased routine screening. The two-day camp, funded by the Aga Khan Hospital, opened on Saturday at the Ismaili Jamaat Khana residence in Mbale.…
The Ebola outbreak caused by Bundibugyo virus in the Democratic Republic of Congo has continued to expand, with more than 6,700 confirmed cases and 3,267 deaths reported since the outbreak was first detected in May. The latest World Health Organization (WHO) update, published on September 10, shows that the outbreak has now reached 61 health…
A national campaign to raise awareness about drowning in Uganda and strengthen community response to drowning emergencies has been launched by SwimSave in partnership with HEJNU, with the Buvuma Islands identified as the starting point for training community responders. The campaign, dubbed the 3,000 Campaign, runs for three months, from Aug. 7 to Nov. 7,…
An estimated eight people drown every day in Uganda, but health experts say the country does not know how many people survive drowning incidents with permanent or life-changing injuries. The lack of data on drowning survivors means the health system has no clear picture of the long-term burden of accidents on Uganda’s lakes, rivers and…
Cystic fibrosis, one of the most common genetic diseases in Switzerland, promotes chronic bacterial infections by impairing the protective barrier of the airways. Scientists at the University of Geneva (UNIGE) have discovered that this dysfunction is caused by the abnormal activation of a protein, connexin 43, which disrupts cellular organisation and compromises the integrity of…
Amnesty International has criticised plans by five European Union member states to establish “return hubs” in Uganda and Rwanda for migrants facing deportation from Europe, warning that the arrangements could expose them to serious human rights violations. The criticism comes as Austria, Denmark, Germany, Greece and the Netherlands meet today to assess progress on plans…
The government of Uganda and the United States of America signed a Strategic Objective Agreement (SOAG) on Thursday, offering Uganda 1.7 billion dollars to finance the health sector for the period 2026 to 2030. This agreement, which puts into action the Memorandum of Understanding signed on 10th December 2025, where the United States Government committed…
More than 150 patients were referred from Bududa District to Mbale Regional Referral Hospital in the 2025/2026 financial year because of inadequate blood supplies, according to the District Health Officer. The shortage is reflected in the district’s request to the Mbale Regional Blood Bank. Bududa requested 6,000 units of blood during the financial year but…
The deaths of two airport workers in Frankfurt have highlighted a rare phenomenon that appears to be on the rise in Europe. 28 August 2026 by Linda Geddes At a glance Though rare, mosquitoes infected with malaria parasites are occasionally carried to non-endemic areas by air, sea or road, resulting in cases of airport or…
Whether via emergency evacuation or outreach vaccination, Uganda’s boat ambulances are life-preservers for remote island communities. 18 June 2026 by John Musenze Gavi-funded Koome Island boat-ambulance waiting for Rebbecca Nabiryo on 6 June 2026. Credit: John Musenze At a glance A fleet of boat ambulances plying Lakes Victoria, Albert and Kyoga have been saving islander…
Apac, in northern Uganda, is infamous for its record bug-bite rate. But early indicators suggest that the new vaccine is blunting the severity of the malaria infections the mosquitoes are spreading. 30 July 2026 by John Agaba At a glance The people of Apac are the most mosquito-bitten in the world. But a year after…
Madrat and Chiko are Ugandan comedians using their platforms – both online and on stage – to persuade parents to vaccinate their children. 27 August 2026 by John Musenze At a glance Comedians Madrat and Chiko have criss-crossed Uganda on the immunisation trail, cracking jokes at public health gatherings to make conversations about vaccination feel…
Historian Dr Elise Mitchell re-examines the early history of smallpox inoculation on both ends of the Atlantic slave trade. 4 September 2026 by Maya Prabhu At a glance West African societies practised inoculation – a precursor to vaccination that deliberately provoked immunity to smallpox by managed exposure to the virus – long before Europeans had…
Premature babies at Lira Regional Referral Hospital may soon have a safer journey to intensive care after hospital engineers developed a locally made baby transporter that provides oxygen during the critical transfer from the labour suite or theatre to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU). The innovation is intended to address one of the critical…
