Why many experts believe countries may be rashly entering a new stage of learning to live with COVID-19 virus | THE INDEPENDENT | After 2 years of living through a global pandemic, many scientists and policymakers are trying to answer what happens next. The Omicron variant of SARS-CoV-2 has driven …
Read More »Uganda setting up bone marrow transplant facility
Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Ugandans due for bone marrow transplants will soon not need to travel abroad to access the services. Plans are underway to enable them access transplants in Kampala at the Uganda Cancer Institute. According to the Uganda Medical Board, more than 20 Ugandans annually travel …
Read More »Penile cancer rare, but on the rise in Uganda
Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Doctors at the Uganda Cancer Institute are seeing more male patients suffering from cancer of the penis than before. Cancer of the penis or penile cancer occurs when the cells on a man’s penis grow out of control. It often starts in the …
Read More »Experts discuss post-COVID-19 transport reforms
Makerere University researchers show how traditional transport was disorganised Kampala, Uganda | PATRICIA AKANKWATSA | The onset of the COVID-19 pandemic resulted in partial or near-total shut down of motorised transport systems in most countries. In addition to new Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) around transport, there was a lot of …
Read More »Strengthening health systems
The three pillars that African countries need | CHARLES SHEY WIYSONGE AND DANIEL BAUSCH | Africa needs, and is ready for, nothing short of a new public health order, with systems better able to prepare for and respond to the next health threat. Having engaged in outbreak response, research, and …
Read More »‘Strange’ disease rages in Kyotera, 10 dead
Kyotera, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | The death toll from a raging ‘strange’ disease outbreak in Kyotera district has reached 10. The latest victim is Francis Mugema, a Kijonjo parish councilor, who passed away on Friday last week. The rare disease was first reported in Nakatoke B village, Kijonjo parish, …
Read More »Involve pregnant women in clinical trials
International campaign launched over locking pregnant women out of clinical trials Kampala, Uganda | RONALD MUSOKE | You would think that with all the potential complications that affect women during and after pregnancy, thousands of drugs have been developed specifically for them, says Dr. Metin Gülmezoglu, the executive director of …
Read More »Chinese doctors in Rwanda perform surgery in Masaka with flashlight for illumination
Kigali, Rwanda | Xinhua | Chinese medical doctors at a local hospital in Kigali, the Rwandan capital, have performed successful surgery on a Rwandan man injured in a car accident, using a flashlight for illumination after surgical lights malfunctioned. “Last week on Friday, I was riding a bicycle and all …
Read More »COVID-19 pandemic response gets $300m
Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Wellcome pledge to CEPI to accelerate epidemic preparedness | THE INDEPENDENT | The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and Wellcome on Jan.18 each pledged US$150 million for a total of US$300 million to the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI). CEPI is a global partnership …
Read More »COVID-19 affects sperm quality in men – Study
Washington, USA | THE INDEPENDENT | Men infected with COVID-19 might experience a short-term reduction in sperm count, according to a study published in the American Journal of Epidemiology. The study shows that some men infected with COVID-19 might find it hard to impregnate a woman after recovering from the …
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