Families and health leaders say community health workers deserve much of the credit for rising uptake. 8 September 2025 by John Musenze When Uganda kicked off its malaria vaccination programme in April, 29-year-old Hawa Umulu was hesistant to bring her baby daughter for the jab. People around her were talking, articulating shadowy concerns about the…
Persons with hearing impairment in Arua City are struggling to access health care as most health facilities lack sign language interpreters to bridge communication with medical staff. The challenge, they say, poses risks of wrong prescriptions and has discouraged some from seeking services altogether. Records from the Arua City Association of the Deaf show that…
Up to 75% of people experiencing mental distress in Uganda do not seek care from hospitals or professional health providers, highlighting a major gap in access to mental health services. Vincent Mujune, Country Director of the NGO StrongMinds Uganda, says that the use of traditional mental health providers is gaining recognition even among the scientific…
At the SHE & Rights session of the International Conference on Family Planning (ICFP 2025), a chorus of young activists, advocates, and health leaders painted a vivid picture of progress, gaps, and persistent challenges in sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) across the Global South. The consensus: while some strides have been made, stigma,…
The “Abortion Rights: A Global Human Rights Imperative” session, celebrating the first anniversary of the SHE & Rights initiative, brought together diverse voices ahead of key international events like the 80th United Nations General Assembly. The central message woven throughout the session was that abortion rights are human rights, an essential component of sexual and…
Health experts and patient advocates are sounding the alarm on the dangerous intersection between antimicrobial resistance (AMR) and noncommunicable diseases (NCDs), warning that siloed responses are failing patients and weakening health systems worldwide. “It is high time to break down silos and build integrated people-centered approaches and resilient health systems that can respond to both…
Experts attending the Uganda National Conference on Health, Human Rights and Development have expressed concern over the increasing cases of food fraud, warning that the problem remains largely unchecked. Speaking at the ongoing conference, Ketra Nakayenga, Principal Consultant in charge of Quality Assurance and Standardization at the Ministry of Trade, urged Ugandans to demand accountability…
Jinja City Deputy Speaker Sirina Kyakuwaire has launched a fundraising campaign with residents to purchase a modern ultrasound scan machine aimed at improving access for mothers who cannot afford such services in private health facilities. Kyakuwaire noted that most ultrasound machines in Jinja’s public health facilities experience frequent breakdowns, leaving pregnant women with limited options.…
The dust of the dry season swirled around Dr. Bosede Adebayo’s feet as she stepped out of the clinic into the harsh afternoon sun. Inside, the quiet hum of the few remaining machines was a constant reminder of what was missing. She thought of Joseph, a young man who had returned to her care in…
Cholera cases in Elegu Town Council, Amuru District, along the Uganda–South Sudan border, have declined nearly two months after the first outbreak was reported in early July. At the height of the outbreak, health authorities at Bibia Health Center III said they were registering between 10 and 15 admissions daily of patients with severe diarrheal…
A group of teenage girls from Sumaya Girls’ Secondary School in Nsangi, Uganda, have designed a breakthrough urinary tract infection (UTI) detector strip that could transform how infections are diagnosed and treated across the country. Called the Euro-care UTI Detector Strip, the innovation provides results in under four minutes, offering a private, affordable, and reliable…
Rheumatic heart disease is a vastly under-researched condition that disproportionately affects low-income countries, with an estimated 55 million cases worldwide. It is the leading cause of cardiac-related mortality in children globally, particularly impacting those aged 5-15 years, typically in kindergarten and lower primary school. The disease progresses through three stages: an initial strep throat infection,…
Before sunrise, Akello Miriam, a mother of five, hauls her yellow jerrycan along the dusty path toward the Aswa River. The old borehole near her home broke three months ago, and clean water is now a three-hour walk away. “I’ve never seen anything like this,” she mutters, dust clinging to her sandals. “We used to…
The Right Here Right Now (RHRN) project has officially concluded its five-year implementation in the Sebei and Bugisu sub-regions, leaving a strong legacy in the fight against sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) and the promotion of Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR), particularly among young people. Implemented by a consortium of civil society organizations—Reproductive…
The Uganda Medical Association (UMA) and the Ministry of Health are challenging a recent Equal Opportunities Commission (EOC) Tribunal ruling that allows pharmacists and other health workers to hold leadership positions in hospitals previously reserved for medical doctors. UMA President Dr Herbert Luswata called the 31 July 2025 ruling “misguided,” noting it relied on foreign…