The Uganda Cancer Institute (UCI) has issued a strong warning against a growing wave of misinformation claiming that men suckling women’s breasts can prevent breast cancer — calling the notion completely false and scientifically baseless. Speaking at the Uganda Media Center in Kampala during Breast Cancer Awareness Month, Dr. Naghib Bogere, an oncologist at UCI,…
Providers of family planning services in refugee-hosting health facilities are calling for professional interpreters, saying language barriers are compromising care and preventing refugees from making informed contraceptive choices. Speaking at a stakeholders’ dialogue organized by Makerere University School of Public Health (MakSPH) on sexual and reproductive health in refugee settings, Maria Goretti Kemirembe, a family…
Several sickle cell patients enrolled in the clinic at Lira Regional Referral Hospital (LRRH) are going without Hydroxyurea, a key crisis-management drug that helps prevent severe complications. Hydroxyurea is a disease-modifying medication for sickle cell anemia that reduces painful crises, hospitalizations, and acute chest syndrome. It works by increasing fetal hemoglobin (HbF), making red blood…
The Joint Medical Store (JMS) has launched a 12-billion-shilling medical warehouse in Gulu City, a major investment expected to transform the distribution and availability of quality medical supplies across Northern Uganda. The state-of-the-art facility, the second JMS branch outside Kampala, marks a milestone in the organization’s drive to decentralize health logistics and improve access to…
Sickle cell warriors at Mukono General Hospital have received a boost after the Sarafina Sickle Cell Society donated four wheelchairs and more than 2,000 Sickle Scan test kits to improve access to care and mobility support. The donation, supported by U.S.-based partners — My Three Sicklers Foundation and Sickle Forward — targets vulnerable patients, especially…
Dorothy Kirunda is what she has to be: a health provider, counsellor, social justice campaigner, witness, teacher, engine of charity and adoptive mother. 10 October 2025 by James Karuga In Kiyindi, a bustling, densely-populated rural fishing town on Lake Victoria’s shores in Uganda, Dorothy Kirunda, a local community health worker (CHW) sits, listening to Aisha…
It’s a disease of poverty with alarming symptoms and the risk of grave outcomes. But learning how to prevent and treat bilharzia helped this Ondo community find a new sense of confidence in the face of a parasitic scourge. 16 October 2025 by Adetokunbo Abiola Agnes Oluwakemi was hawking cucumbers at her local marketplace in…
Uganda’s first amphibian aircraft designed to serve ordinary citizens was officially launched on Tuesday, marking a new chapter in connecting remote island communities on Lake Victoria. The plane will initially serve six islands — Bukasa, Buvuma, Buyovu, and Lingira among them — where access to the mainland has long been a challenge. Speaking at the…
In Bukedea district, a new generation of health workers is stepping into Uganda’s rural communities — trained, equipped, and paid — to change how healthcare reaches families in the remotest corners. At least 304 Community Health Extension Workers (CHEWs) are currently undergoing training in Bukedea as the government officially rolls out the new program. The…
The Ministry of Health through the National Medical Store -NMS, has provided the Kitgum District Local Government with 414 smartphones.The smartphones are intended for use by Village Health Teams -VHTs. Dr. Henry Okello Otto, the Kitgum District Health Officer, expressed his enthusiasm about the development, saying that it reflects the Health Ministry’s commitment to strengthening…
Traders attending the India-Uganda bilateral policy dialogue have raised concerns over the lack of incentives for importers of pharmaceutical products, saying they are instead strained by what they described as double taxation. According to the traders, many surgical products, including gloves, are subject to multiple verifications. In addition to paying pre-export verification fees in India,…
The Pharmaceutical Society of Uganda (PSU) has mandated that all pharmacists working in practice settings across the country earn a minimum professional fee of UGX 2 million net per month, effective immediately. The resolution was passed during the PSU Annual General Meeting held on 26th September 2025 at Imperial Royale Hotel, Kampala. The society said…
Makerere University bioethicists have cautioned that careless sharing of patient genetic data could put individuals, families, and communities at serious risk if ethical guidelines are not strictly followed. The warning comes alongside findings from a study examining how human genes influence responses to HIV/AIDS treatments, with researchers also unveiling guidance on responsibly sharing genetic information…
The Ministry of Health has delivered three solar-powered refrigerators to Kitgum District, a move aimed at strengthening healthcare services, particularly for children. Dr. Henry Okello Otto, Kitgum District Health Officer, confirmed that the refrigerators will be installed at Loborom Health Center III in Labongo Layamo Sub-county, Omiya Anyima Health Center III, and Akilok Health Center…
Two years after its opening, Jinja Regional Referral Hospital’s cancer clinic, established to address the high cancer burden in Busoga, remains severely under-resourced. The clinic was launched following studies in Mayuge and Iganga districts, which ranked Busoga among the top five sub-regions with the highest cancer prevalence in Uganda. Patients with early-stage cancer in the…
