Epidemics Tracker

Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | These are the top stories in this week’s THE INDEPENDENT. COVER STORY Herbal medicine for COVID-19: Is this hope or gloom for Africans? COMMENT Is parliament immune from punishment? Unlike past occasions where MPs controversially paid themselves despite public outcry, they should be punished ANALYSIS …

Seibersdorf, Austria | AFP | Shortages of materials needed in tests for the novel coronavirus remain  “critical”, according to the head of a UN lab, which is supplying countries with COVID-19 detection kits. In particular the chemical reagents for the tests are still in short supply, said Giovanni Cattoli, head of the Animal Production and …

Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Public health expert Prof. Freddie Ssengooba has cautioned government to carefully consider what is feasible for the country in the fight against coronavirus disease COVID-19 at a time when the world is awash of many untested options to control further transmission of the disease. …

Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni has cautioned the general public to always wear masks when they are out of their homes saying that this would combat the spread of the coronavirus (COVID-19) and its infection to other people. “People seem not to understand the value …

Kyotera, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | The Health Ministry is yet to find one of the Covid-19 positive cases in Kyotera district. The positive case is a Ugandan male whose sample was picked along the road in Mutukula border town during the ongoing community survey. Atek Kagirita, the COVID-19 incident …

Masindi, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Masindi district has received 660 COVID-19 test kits from the Health Ministry to test people in high risk areas. This comes several days after a police detective attached to Masindi Central Police Station tested positive for COVID-19. As a result, hundreds of people believed …

Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Top artists from across Africa and throughout the African Diaspora have joined forces with UNESCO, to save lives and counter misinformation during the COVID-19 pandemic. They are creating public service announcements, songs and music videos as part of an online campaign called #DontGoViral which has …

Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Most health workers at four Makerere University Teaching Hospitals have a negative attitude toward COVID-19 patients. This was revealed in an online cross-sectional study conducted at Mulago National Referral Hospital, Mulago Specialized Women and Neonatal Hospital, Kiruddu National Referral Hospital and Kawempe National Referral …

London, United Kingdom | AFP |  Major social advances have often emerged from the depths of disaster: the Black Death brought an end to serfdom, and Britain’s welfare state emerged from the ruins of World War II. As the coronavirus outbreak took hold, many governments brought in policies previously dismissed as …

Kampala, Uganda |  THE INDEPENDENT |  The Minister in charge of the Presidency Esther Mbayo has been asked to explain why directives issued by President Yoweri Museveni during the COVID-19 lockdown are misinterpreted.   Bugabula South MP Henry Kibalya complained about a recent incident where security personnel in Kyengera refused a pregnant …