Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | The planned Indoor Residual Spraying (IRS) initially scheduled to take place in May in high malarial districts has been cancelled. The World Health Organisation recommends IRS as a prevention mechanism should be done every after two years for efficacy. The intervention was last done …
Read More »COVID-19 suspect: Being in quarantine was terrible
Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | A foreign resident who was discharged recently from Entebbe Central Inn says life during quarantine was “like living in hell”. When he arrived at Entebbe International Airport, he was told he would spend 14 days in institutional quarantine having returned from the United States of …
Read More »Rugunda calls for transparency in managing COVID-19 fund
Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Prime Minister Dr Ruhakana Rugunda has asked the COVID-19 Fund committee to be transparent while managing the resources entrusted to them. Dr Rugunda sounded the appeal while inaugurating the Fund committee that was named by President Yoweri Museveni at a function held at his …
Read More »Uganda picks hydroxychloroquine to treat COVID-19 patients
Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | The Ministry of Health is using hydroxychloroquine as a treatment drug for patients that are receiving COVID-19 treatment at three health facilities. The drug is an antimalarial used to treat mild forms of malaria, but can also be used to treat lupus and arthritis. …
Read More »Technique used to test for COVID-19 not new – Prof. Kaleebu
Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | The Executive Director of the Uganda Virus Research Institute (UVRI), Prof. Pontiano Kaleebu has said the methods they use to test the coronavirus (COVID -19) are the same as those used for testing hepatitis B and HIV. Prof. Kaleebu’s assertion dispels fears among part …
Read More »Health Ministry decentralizes coronavirus care
Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | The Health Minister Dr. Jane Ruth Aceng said considering that a number of people picked from the community have tested positive for the coronavirus (COVID -19), they have resolved that samples be collected from suspects wherever they are. Delivering an update on the COVID …
Read More »Private providers could start conducting COVID-19 tests
Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Private healthcare providers could start offering COVID-19 tests to patients that approach them thanks to the procurement of new rapid test kits from China. Currently, the Uganda Virus Research Institute (UVRI) has the sole mandate of conducting COVID-19 tests. It is from here that results …
Read More »UCC cautions against circulating fake information on COVID- 19
Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | The Uganda Communications Commission (UCC) has cautioned the public against circulating falsehoods about COVID-19, a new strain of that has devastated the world. The communications regulator observes that there is an increase in cases of misinformation through the publication of audios and videos circulating on …
Read More »Ministry of Health embarks on screening health workers for TB
Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | After research showed that health workers are three times more at risk of getting infected with Tuberculosis (TB) than other people who get in contact with patients, the Ministry of Health has embarked on having them screened and link those that test positive to …
Read More »WHO worried about COVID-19 hitting HIV hotspots in Africa
Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | The World Health Organization-WHO is worried about what kind of damage coronavirus will cause to countries with high HIV burdens and high prevalence of malnutrition. While addressing journalists during the weekly COVID-19 press briefing, the WHO Director-General says that as an organization they are …
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