COMMENT: By Joy Asasira & Dennis Jjuuko Is American foreign policy to blame or poor prioritisation by the Ugandan government? U.S President Ronald Reagan first invoked the global gag rule also known as the Mexico City Policy in 1984, followed by President George W. Bush in 2001. President Donald Trump …
Read More »HEALTH: Herbal medicine’s future
Two top practitioners speak to The Independent about their fears and dream Andrew S. Kaggwa Imagine a place where you can go for weight management, management of lifestyle diseases, nutritional support, and guidance and counseling on diet. Now on that list add herbal decoctions, distillates, ointments, creams, and lotions. Finally …
Read More »Rethinking cancer diagnosis, treatment
WHO releases new guidelines; but how will Uganda drive more patients to the hospital? Every Friday morning at the Uganda Cancer Institute is free screening time. Being the biggest cancer facility in the country, coupled with ever increasing cases, one would expect to see some quite big numbers. But that …
Read More »Trade ministry, local governments fight over alcohol law
Proponents of the law say it will ensure a healthy and productive population Uganda’s trader ministry and the Gulu District Local Government are at loggerheads over the latter’s decision to pass an ordinance restricting the sale and consumption of alcohol. Gulu District Councilors enforced an Alcohol Control Ordinance starting last …
Read More »RWANDA: Swelling feet disease
Podoconiosis: A neglected tropical disease causing havoc in Rwanda rural areas A group of 25 people sit, their eyes downcast, on the verdant freshly mowed field at a churchyard in Musanze town. The sky above is thick with dark clouds, promising rains. It’s a perfect morning to be in their …
Read More »Green health for Kampala
Researchers recommend fighting Non-communicable Diseases with jogging, playing, relaxing in public parks Researchers who recently published a study on public parks in Kampala now want the city authorities to remove encroachers and create new spaces for residents to use for exercise, recreation, and relaxation. David Ouma Balikowa, who was the …
Read More »New ‘100% effective’ Ebola vaccine
Almost a year after the official end of the Ebola outbreak in West Africa, the final results from one of the only Ebola vaccine trials are now in – and they look very promising. This is the only data we have on a vaccine against a virus in the Ebolavirus …
Read More »Modern life, bad habits: Africa faces deadly new illnesses
Nairobi, Kenya | AFP | When Rose Kariuki first felt a lump on her left breast, the spectre of cancer — a disease she had only heard of on television — was the last thing on her mind. “To me, cancer was nowhere near us. It was shocking, I feared …
Read More »Lack of funds threatens malaria progress
London, United Kingdom | AFP | Global progress on controlling malaria risks stalling due to an “urgent need” for more funding, the World Health Organization (WHO) warned in its annual report on Tuesday. Overall, the number of new cases fell by 21 percent between 2010 and 2015, and mortality rates …
Read More »Fighting Non-Communicable Disease
COMMENT: By George Weisz Civil-society organisations create new alliance to tackle the challenge of NCDs in East African Global health organisations and initiatives – and, in particular, the World Health Organization – have traditionally focused on infectious diseases, from malaria (their great failure) to smallpox (their greatest success). But …
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