By Flavia Nassaka Two months to MDGs deadline, Uganda trails world on indicators On a daily basis, over 18000 children die according to the United Nations Children’s Agency. Some of the children die at delivery whereas others die before attaining the age of five. Similarly, the World Health Organisation estimates …
Read More »Prostate cancer prevention
By Flavia Nassaka More sex partners or diet? A recently released study which claims that men who have many women partners less likely to develop prostate cancer, has renewed interest in the disease. The Prostate Cancer & Environment Study published in the journal Cancer Epidemiology involved 1590 men. It reported …
Read More »Money problems in Uganda’s Parliament
By Flavia Nassaka MPs earn big, but are deep in debt Cash flow equals income minus expenses. Some members of Uganda’s parliament clearly skipped that personal finance management class. Among them are Felix Okot Ogong, Nakato Kyabanji Katusiime, Florence Kintu, and Simon Peter Aleper. All of them earn quite a …
Read More »New polio vaccine coming
By Flavia Nassaka Progress made on immunisation but maternal, child health lagging Starting next year, the Ministry of Health is to introduce a new polio vaccine for children, according to the Uganda National Expanded Programme on Immunisation (UNEPI) Programme Director, Dr Robert Mayanja. Dr Mayanja was speaking to The Independent …
Read More »Health research opportunities, challenges
By Flavia Nassaka The Medical Research Council (MRC), a body under the Uganda Virus Research Institute (UVRI), is this year marking 25 years of operations in Uganda. Prof. Pontiano Kaleebu, the director, spoke to Flavia Nassaka about the current state of medical / health research in the country. Briefly, what …
Read More »Healing power of tears
By Flavia Nassaka If crying helps our emotional state, why is it discouraged? Shedding tears is one of the least explainable human behaviors. It can involve anything from merely getting moist eyes to full-on sobbing. It is at once welcomed as a form of emotional release following a traumatic event, …
Read More »Marburg: Don’t be caught off guard
By Flavia Nassaka Ugandan experts speak out on what World can do in West Africa Just as the world was grappling with the worst ever outbreak of the hemorrhagic fever, Ebola, in West Africa with over 4000 dead, tragedy struck thousands of kilometres away in Uganda. A male radiographer at …
Read More »Independence as never seen before
By Flavia Nassaka The events around this year’s Independence Day celebration have been remarkable and unprecedented To many all over the world, the month of October marks the commencement of plans for Christmas and other end of year festivities. For Uganda, this month is held in high regard because on …
Read More »How healthy is sauna or steam bath?
By Flavia Nassaka Going to health clubs has become a hobby for many Ugandans Shamim Nassuna, a young woman in her early twenties, has been battling acne of the face; a common skin disease which causes pimple-like blisters. She has tried a variety of lotions and creams with little success. …
Read More »More people getting depression
By Flavia Nassaka Can new blood-test detection improve treatment outcomes? Dr Harriet Birabwa, a Butabika based psychiatrist says that 20% of all patients that report to the hospital have had an episode of depression and of 100 aging people, 80 are depressed. Also, the World Health Organisation estimates show the …
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