Health

COMMENT | Barbara Ntambirweki | Last week the Ugandan media was awash with reports that a British firm, Oxitec, in partnership with Uganda Virus Research Institute (UVRI) is set to develop a technique for inserting a lethal gene into mosquitoes to combat malaria. While Uganda has one of the highest …

JUBA, SOUTH SUDAN | Xinhua | The World Health Organization (WHO) and South Sudan have teamed up to sustain the fight against neglected tropical diseases that pose a huge health threat in the country. Undersecretary in the Ministry of Health Ader Macar Aciek said the country, with support from WHO …

The Covid-19 pandemic led to many children missing out on vaccinations ANALYSIS | AGENCIES | Europe is experiencing an “alarming rise” in measles cases, the World Health Organisation (WHO) has warned. There were 42,200 measles cases across 41 member states in the WHO European Region in 2023, WHO confirmed, up from …

Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | The Uganda Healthcare Federation (UHF) together with the Uganda Insurers Association (UIA) have disclosed plans to mitigate the high gross pay-outs registered annually by the Medical Insurers and Service Providers. The revelation was made during the Medical Service Providers Breakfast Meeting held at Fairway …

SAN FRANCISCO | Xinhua | Elon Musk said on Monday that his neurotech startup Neuralink implanted its device in a human for the first time on Sunday. The patient is “recovering well,” Musk said on X, formerly Twitter. “Initial results show promising neuron spike detection.” Neuralink’s first product is called …

They rewire your brain by changing how your genes work ANALYSIS | KARLA KAUN | Many people are wired to seek and respond to rewards. Your brain interprets food as rewarding when you are hungry and water as rewarding when you are thirsty. But addictive substances like alcohol and drugs of …

Gulu, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | The parents of former acting Amuru District Veterinary Officer Samuel Ochora have tasked leaders and security personnel in Amuru district to explain with clarity the circumstances that led to the death of their son. This comes as the parents revealed pathologists failed to recover …

Adjumani, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Four people have tested positive and 9 others hospitalised following an outbreak of cholera in Adjumani District. The confirmed cases are currently admitted at Nyumanzi HC III in Nyumanzi Refugee Transit Centre in Dzaipi sub-county. Adjumani District Health Officer Dr. Dominic Drametu explains that the …

LUSAKA, Zambia | Xinhua | About 1.8 million Zambians in cholera hotspot areas have gotten the oral cholera vaccine as the exercise comes to a close, health authorities said on Saturday. Minister of Health Sylvia Masebo said in an update statement on the cholera situation that the vaccine was administered …

Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | The Deputy Speaker of Parliament, Thomas Tayebwa has directed the Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry, and Fisheries – MAAIF to explain the progress made in containing foot-and-mouth disease (FMD). In his communication during a plenary sitting on Thursday, Tayebwa observed that a section of …