Government’s plans to ensure there is a borehole constructed in each village in Uganda should address concerns by activists about the huge burden women and girls face in search of safe drinking water. The reassurance was given by Eng. Joseph Oriono Eyatu, Commissioner for rural water supply and sanitation while …
Read More »When natural cures disappear
Traditions clash with modern science over lost plants, animals, fish 64-year old Milly Namwanje knows something about the diseases of infants. She had six children of her own and she is now a grandmother of one-month old Sheebah. Unfortunately, Sheebah has a problem that Namwanje has diagnosed – but she …
Read More »Medical delivery drones take flight over Rwanda
Muhanga, Rwanda | AFP | “Three, two, one, launch!” And with that, catapulted from a ramp, the small fixed-wing drone buzzes into the air towards its pre-programmed destination, the Kabgayi hospital two kilometres away. On Friday Rwanda inaugurated a drone operation that its backers hope will kickstart a revolution in …
Read More »Tackling the medical internship challenge
Questions as Health ministry proposes stringent guidelines on enrollment The mood at Nakasero Primary School in Kampala on Oct.01 was similar to a movie shooting scene gone wrong – bitter exchanges and mean stares were flying about. The unpleasant body language of medical interns to-be as Dr. Jacinto Amandua, the …
Read More »COMMENT: Safe abortion, religion, culture
COMMENT: By Joy Asasira When religion and morality dictate reproductive health policy in Uganda, who suffers? Over the past few months, much as been said by politicians and the media about reproductive rights issues, from comprehensive sexuality education, legalisation or decriminalisation of abortion and even access to essential HIV prevention …
Read More »Health expert warns about high HIV/AID deaths among adolescents
A leading Ugandan health expert has warned that the country still faces unprecedented deaths related to HIV/AIDS mainly among the pediatric and adolescent age group. HIV is the second leading cause of deaths among adolescents in Uganda, reported to be at 11%, according to statistics at the ministry of health. According to Dr. Sabrina …
Read More »Charity scores small win in Hepatitis C drug battle
Berlin, Germany | AFP | A medical charity scored a small victory Wednesday in its bid to break a US pharma giant’s hold on an eye-wateringly expensive Hepatitis C drug when a European body partially revoked the firm’s patent. Patient groups around the world have accused Gilead Sciences of charging …
Read More »Cancer Institute row with NMS leaves patients stranded
A visit to the Uganda Cancer Institute (UCI) is for the hard-hearted since a row broke out between its management and those of the National Medical Stores (NMS) and drugs stopped being delivered. Patients who are in need of drugs now lie around without help. One of such patients is …
Read More »From America to Viagra: the art of finding what you’re not looking for
Stockholm, Sweden | AFP | It’s serendipity: from America to Viagra, history is full of great discoveries helped along by chance, as more than a century of Nobel prizes can attest. Among the chance discoveries that have been honoured with the prestigious prize are X-rays (physics, 1901), penicillin (medicine, 1945), …
Read More »Court halts new medics internship guidelines
The High Court in Kampala has issued an interim order staying the implementation of new Health Ministry policy guidelines regarding internship centres and remuneration of medical interns across the country. This means that the current group of prospective medical doctors, dental surgeons, pharmacists and nurses should immediately be posted to their respective training …
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