The Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Health, Dr. Diana Atwine, has defended the destruction of expired medical supplies worth UGX 316.7 billion, following revelations from the Auditor General’s 2023/24 report. The destroyed supplies included COVID-19 vaccines, antiretroviral drugs (ARVs), testing kits, and other essential medicines. According to Auditor General Edward Akol, this marked a…
Reproductive Health Uganda has welcomed the enactment of the Sexual Offences Bill 2024, emphasizing that it expands accountability for sexual harassment beyond employers to include employees. Unlike existing laws, which primarily hold employers responsible, the new legislation criminalizes sexual harassment at all levels, ensuring that both employers and employees can be held liable. Speaking before…
Mbale Regional Referral Hospital has received a state-of-the-art mobile laboratory worth over $50 million from the Russian government to enhance testing capabilities for Ebola and other infectious diseases. Daniel Mwayafu, the Acting Director of the hospital, confirmed the development on Thursday, noting that the Ministry of Health deployed the facility in response to the recent…
The Ministry of Health (MOH) has downplayed the pay demands from health workers involved in the treatment of individuals infected during the 2022 Sudan Ebola virus disease outbreak. The outbreak, which originated in Mubende District, spread to neighboring districts, causing widespread concern. The health workers, under their umbrella organization, the Uganda Medical Association, have expressed…
Acting in the right place at the right time is the key to effective medical treatment with minimal side effects. However, this feat remains difficult to achieve. Biologists and chemists at the University of Geneva (UNIGE) have succeeded in developing a tool that controls the location at which a molecule is activated by a simple…
Uganda today discharged eight patients who had been receiving treatment for Sudan virus disease—a member of the Ebola virus family—marking a significant milestone in the country’s response to the outbreak. The recovered patients had been treated at Mulago National Referral Hospital in Kampala and Mbale Regional Referral Hospital. However, health authorities caution that the outbreak…
The Ministry of Health and the AIDS Support Organization (TASO), with funding from Global Funding, has launched a training program for community health extension workers in Kitgum district. The training, which kicked off at Kitgum Technical Institute in Pager Division, Kitgum Municipality, aims to equip 166 community health extension workers with the necessary skills to…
A heated exchange erupted between Dr. Diana Atwine, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Health, and Nakaseke Central MP Allan Mayanja Ssebunya over the allowances for Community Health Extension Workers (CHEWs). The clash occurred on Monday during the passing-out ceremony of 152 CHEWs at the Nakaseke District headquarters after six months of training. CHEWs, who…
The Ministry of Health has confirmed a cholera outbreak in Panyadoli Refugee Settlement, Kiryandongo District, following the deaths of two South Sudanese refugees. The victims, both female adults aged 40 and 49, died last Thursday at Panyadoli Hill Health Center III and Panyadoli Health Center IV after arriving in critical condition with cholera-like symptoms, including…
Nakaseke District has suspended 20 health workers from receiving their January salaries due to chronic absenteeism, a persistent issue that has severely affected service delivery in government health facilities. Despite multiple warnings and even salary increments for health workers, absenteeism has remained rampant, forcing Chief Administrative Officer (CAO) Sarah Nakalungi to take disciplinary action. Nakalungi…
The Uganda AIDS Commission (UAC) has urged Parliament and the Ministry of Finance to realign budget prioritiesand allocate an additional UGX 300 billion to counter the impact of the United States’ foreign aid freeze. The funding gap follows an Executive Order by former President Donald Trump, which imposed a complete ban on US aid, disrupting…
Four health officers in Katakwi District are under investigation for allegedly soliciting bribes from school administrators while conducting inspections for Monkeypox and Ebola prevention measures. According to a source who wished to remain anonymous, the officers visited her school on Wednesday to assess its preparedness for Monkeypox prevention but instead demanded money, threatening to close…
Kampala Lord Mayor Erias Lukwago, who also serves as the lawyer for detained opposition leader Dr. Kizza Besigye, has demanded that his client receive specialized medical treatment at a facility of his choosing, citing serious health concerns. Besigye, a four-time presidential candidate, was rushed from Luzira Prison to a private clinic in Bugolobi on Sundayafter…
Against the backdrop of the 2024 Africa Malaria Progress Report, which reveals stagnating progress and mounting threats to malaria elimination, African leaders at the African Union Summit have committed to mobilizing domestic resources and scaling up innovative financing. The leaders urged global partners to replenish the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria, emphasizing…
In Kapchorwa District, a 32-year-old man from Kayimelil Cell, Central Division, and a 29-year-old from Kwomo Cell, Chema Sub-county have tested positive for Monkeypox (Mpox), sending shockwaves through the community. Dr. Sirajji Masai, the Kapchorwa District Health Officer, confirmed that both patients are currently in isolation at Kapchorwa Main Hospital, receiving treatment. He urged…