INTERVIEW | What does air pollution have to do with it? Air pollution has an alarming effect on global health. In 2019, it was responsible for 4.2 million global deaths. Inhaling air pollution harms health in many different ways beyond simply having effects on the lungs. Over 70% of air pollution …
Read More »QR codes to track performance of health workers in hospitals
KAMPALA, UGANDA | THE INDEPENDENT | The Ministry of Health has urged Ugandans to use the client satisfaction initiative in which they can use Quick Response (QR) codes to report errant health workers. Following recent complaints of absentee health workers and run-down medical equipment at Fort Portal Regional Referral Hospital …
Read More »African Union urges Trump to revisit US exit from WHO
Trump cited dissatisfaction over its handling of the Covid-19 pandemic and the inequality of contributions ANALYSIS | AGENCIES | The African Union on Jan.22 urged new U.S. President Donald Trump to revisit his decision to withdraw Washington from the World Health Organisation. In a statement, African Union Commission Chairperson Moussa Faki …
Read More »Health PS calls emergency meeting after USAID funding pause
Gov’t Discusses Filling Void as Offices Close Following USAID’s Funding Pause Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | The Ministry of Health (MOH) will take off this week to examine critical areas, which will need prompt intervention by the government following the suspension of funding by the United States Agency for …
Read More »Health authorities want UVRI Arua field station boosted to address sample delays
Arua, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Health authorities in West Nile have urged the government to enhance the Uganda Virus Research Institute (UVRI) Arua field station so it can conduct tests for diseases beyond just Plague and Anthrax. They argue that this expansion will help address the challenges of delays in …
Read More »Just one drink a day may put your health at risk
New report says alcohol should carry cancer risk warning label ANALYSIS | THE INDEPENDENT & AGENCIES | Just one alcoholic drink a day is linked to a wide range of negative health effects, according to a new report released Jan.14 by the American government. The findings, which apply to both men …
Read More »BMI: A big fat lie
Better ways to define obesity emerge ANALYSIS | AGENCIES | For years, the method physicians have used to determine whether a person has obesity is to calculate their BMI — or body mass index. BMI is a quick and inexpensive estimate based on weight and height. But BMI doesn’t provide adequate …
Read More »Patients detained, denied care at hospitals funded by World Bank
Billions of taxpayer dollars invested in for-profit facilities from Africa to Asia were supposed to improve access to healthcare. But stories of abuses have piled up ANALYSIS | GAVIN FINCH, KENDALL TAGGART & DAVID KOCIENIEWSKI | The 1-year-old was with her pregnant mother at a maternity clinic when the convulsing started. A …
Read More »The silent killer and the fight for heart health
KITGUM, UGANDA | THE INDEPENDENT | For years, Grace Achola, 48 years-old businesswoman in Omiya-Anyima village, Kitgum District did not think about her blood pressure. At 43 years, she was focused on her career and raising her children. It was not until on her normal business journey to Lira City when …
Read More »Moroto residents donate land for construction of school, health center
Moroto, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | The communities of Tapac and Katikekile sub-counties in Moroto district have offered 15.5 acres of land to Tororo Cement Factory for the construction of a primary school and a health facility. Tororo Cement Factory through the Granite General Contractors Ltd currently has business projects in …
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