Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Legislators are furious that the refurbishment of X-ray rooms in 20 hospitals is has stalled because of non-compliance to procurement guidelines by the health ministry. The revelation came to light in a report from the Auditor General showing that the non-compliance with Section 60(6) …
Read More »Inside Karamoja’s high-stakes livestock vaccination mission
Moroto, Uganda | PATRICIA AKANKWATSA | In Karamoja, livestock is not just an asset class; it is the operating system of the local economy. Cattle and goats function simultaneously as savings, insurance, food supply, and social capital. It is within this context that vaccines often treated as a narrow veterinary …
Read More »Butabika takes over drug injection treatment as NGO funding dries up
Kampala, Uganda | URN | Butabika National Referral Mental Hospital has taken over a critical addiction treatment programme for people who inject drugs, following the withdrawal of donor funding that had sustained it since 2020, raising concerns about continuity of care for hundreds of patients. The treatment, known as Medically Assisted …
Read More »Govt scales up immunisation drive amid measles outbreak
Kampala, Uganda | URN | The Government has intensified the rollout of routine and newly introduced vaccines across districts following confirmed outbreaks of measles in several parts of the country. Health officials say the renewed push is being implemented through Integrated Child Health Days and expanded community outreach campaigns, to …
Read More »Makerere’s lung institute to become Uganda Lung Institute
Kampala, Uganda | URN | Makerere University Lung Institute (MLI) is in the process of expanding to become Uganda’s tertiary center for all lung-related research and care. The latest development comes as Uganda reports an increasing burden of respiratory infections. Speaking to URN in an interview, Dr. Bruce Kirenga, the …
Read More »Malaria resurgence threatens Uganda’s hard-won gains
Kampala, Uganda | URN | For over a decade, Uganda was hailed as a success story in the fight against malaria. Between 2009 and 2019, parasite prevalence in children under five fell from 45% to just 9%. But recent data signals a worrying reversal. The 2024 Malaria Indicator Survey shows …
Read More »Gulu premature births surge
Gulu, Uganda | URN | Gulu Regional Referral Hospital has registered a drastic increase in premature births in its maternity ward, despite ongoing efforts by health officials to sensitise expectant mothers on healthy lifestyle practices. The hospital, which serves the entire Acholi sub-region and parts of Northern Uganda, recorded 7,632 …
Read More »Dr. Judith Namuyonga turning personal pain into a lifeline for Down Syndrome
Kampala, Uganda | URN | For many, stares and whispers of a crowded city are a source of discomfort. For Ugandan pediatrician Judith Namuyonga, they were a masterclass in empathy. Speaking at the World Down Syndrome Day celebrations in Buikwe District on Saturday, Dr. Namuyonga, a Senior Consultant Pediatrician and …
Read More »Soroti intensifies fight against HIV
Soroti, Uganda | URN | A new multi-agency initiative to curb rising HIV/AIDS infections has been launched in Soroti City, targeting adolescents and young people amid growing concern over high transmission rates in the area. The intervention, spearheaded by the Ministry of Health, the Uganda AIDS Commission, and the AIDS …
Read More »Period poverty keeps girls out of class as Uganda seeks private sector support
Kampala, Uganda | PATRICIA AKANKWATSA | Menstruation continues to be a major, largely invisible barrier to girls’ education in Uganda, organisers and humanitarian agencies warned at a fundraising breakfast in Kampala on Tuesday. The event, convened by Ecobank Uganda Limited and the Uganda Red Cross Society under the “Keep a Girl in School” (KAGIS) initiative, called …
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The Independent Uganda: You get the Truth we Pay the Price