Health officials and community leaders in Pakwach District are raising a serious alarm over a dramatic surge in HIV prevalence among young people, with girls and young women being the most affected. A new report reveals that infections among residents aged 10 to 24 have jumped by nearly 2,000 cases in just one year, signaling…

A silent and devastating health crisis is unfolding in Uganda, where an increasing number of women who have never smoked a cigarette are being diagnosed with lung cancer. Doctors at the Uganda Cancer Institute (UCI) have identified a pervasive and overlooked culprit: chronic exposure to smoke from traditional cooking fires. Dr. Najib Bogere, a medical…

A severe crisis at Mukono General Hospital has left expectant mothers giving birth on bare cement floors and recovering there post-delivery, exposing them and their newborns to serious health risks. Administrators have sounded an alarm over the dire conditions, pleading for urgent intervention to restore dignity to patient care. The hospital’s maternity ward is critically…

Health officials in Uganda’s West Nile region are raising concerns over a significant surge in Tuberculosis (TB) cases, with more than 52 new infections confirmed in the first half of September alone. A report from the TB plus campaign league released on Monday revealed the spike, and officials warn that new cases continue to be…

Uganda’s Public Accounts Committee (PAC) has questioned the government’s decision to inject more than UGX 723 billion into Dei BioPharma Ltd without first conducting a valuation, only to later discover the company was worth just UGX 2.05 billion. The concern was raised by Butambala County MP Muwanga Kivumbi on September 9 while presenting PAC’s report…

The Ministry of Health has rolled out a new tool to fight malaria in Katakwi District: larvicides, chemicals designed to kill mosquitoes before they become adults. The Ministry of Health plans to expand larvicide use nationwide, integrating it into broader vector control efforts in collaboration with partners. Larvicides work by targeting mosquito larvae in water.…

Alwi Health Center III, a lifeline for more than 900 people along the Nebbi–Pakwach highway in northern Uganda, is overwhelmed by patients and starved of space. The facility records an average of eight deliveries a day or 60 to 80 monthly but has only one functional delivery bed, forcing some expectant mothers to give birth…

The fight against cancer in Uganda has gained fresh momentum with the graduation of 28 highly trained cancer specialists. The new graduates completed two years of rigorous super-specialist training, mastering the treatment of cancers that most affect Ugandans. Thirteen fellows specialized in women’s cancers such as breast and cervical cancer, seven focused on childhood cancers,…

The Town Clerk of Kitgum Municipality, Monday Joseph Bagonza, has raised the alarm over a growing underground trade in Ready-to-Use Therapeutic Food (RUTF), the lifesaving peanut-based paste better known as Plumpy’Nut. RUTF is a high-calorie, nutrient-dense paste designed to pull severely malnourished children back from the brink of starvation. Distributed free of charge through government…

In 2022, nearly two thirds of the Togolese people diagnosed with cancer died. Vaccination can help change those figures, say Ministry of Health officials. 1 September 2025 by Nephthali Messanh Ledy On a Friday morning in August, several women arrive at the Kovié Medical and Social Centre (CMS), about 25 kilometres northwest of the capital…

Masaai women traditionally trusted to guide and protect mothers in childbirth are shepherding younger girls to safety from cervical cancer. Local health administrators say they see an uptick in vaccination rates where the “Olkinyi” are at work. 2 September 2025 by Gitonga Njeru At dawn in Inkisanjani village, near the Kenya-Tanzania border, the sound of…

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,…