Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | The siblings of Winnie Byanyima, the wife of former Presidential Candidate Dr Kiiza Besigye have appealed to President Yoweri Museveni to allow Besigye to receive specialised medical treatment outside Luzira Prison, where he has been detained for the past 14 months. In a letter …
Read More »Health gains in 2025 despite wars, funding cuts
Burundi, Egypt and Fiji eliminated trachoma; Guinea and Kenya eliminated sleeping sickness; and Niger became the first African country to eliminate river blindness NEWS ANALYSIS | AGENCIES | Even as funding cuts, conflict and climate shocks strained health systems worldwide – disrupting essential services in many countries – governments and …
Read More »Washington lines up slew of health deals as US and China vie for influence across Africa
Signatories must guarantee that genetic sequence data and samples from potential outbreaks are shared with the US within 5 days of detection SPECIAL FEATURE | JEVANS NYABIAGE | Washington is securing bilateral health deals with countries across Africa to ensure direct access to critical pathogen data and specimens following the United States’ …
Read More »United States drives Uganda towards health self-sustainability in $2.3 billion deal
Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Uganda and the US have today signed a $2.3 billion bilateral health cooperation Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) that should, after five years, produce an effective health system that is sustained and owned by the Government of Uganda’s institutions and communities. In the MOU, the government of …
Read More »US aid cuts shrink Uganda’s civic space ahead of 2026 elections
The termination of USAID governance programs has hollowed out civic education networks that once reached rural and first-time voters Kampala, Uganda | NAKISANZE SEGAWA | At 18, Ronald Serunjoji can’t wait to cast his first-ever ballot in Uganda’s general elections, slated for January 2026. He’s certain about his choice for president, …
Read More »WHO to lose nearly 2,400 jobs by mid-2026
The cuts are brutal. But with a $1 billion funding gap in 2026, there remain uncertainties ahead Geneva, Switzerland | THE INDEPENDENT & AGENCIES | The World Health Organization will lose a significant number of its global staff by June 2026, after months of a painful reorganization process in response to significant donor …
Read More »DR KALYESUBULA: Why I still practice medicine in Uganda
COMMENT | DR ROBERT KALYESUBULA | Being a doctor in a low-income country can be one of the most trying journeys anyone can take. And today, I was reminded – again – why I became a doctor and why, despite every challenge, I continue to practise nephrology here in Uganda. When …
Read More »Fighting the Invisible Enemy: Ugandan medics take on antimicrobial resistance
In the second part of this series, we show how frontline medics are fighting for a future where routine infections do not become deadly again Kampala, Uganda | IAN KATUSIIME | Dr Lorna Atikoro works at Kiruddu National Referral Hospital and describes herself as a soldier in the fight against …
Read More »C-Care Uganda ready to save patients cost of travelling abroad for treatment
C-Care Uganda Strengthens Strategic Media Partnerships at Appreciation Media Breakfast Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | C-Care Uganda has assembled dozens of top specialists and is widening its network across the country to provide an alternative to seeking treatment abroad. “We want to change the perception that for a Ugandan …
Read More »Kigali facility revs up Africa’s vaccine self-reliance
Backed by fresh European financing, BioNTech’s Kigali facility is emerging as the cornerstone of Africa’s mRNA vaccine ecosystem, bridging the gap between ambition and large-scale production. SPECIAL REPORT | BIRD AGENCY | A new European financial backing of BioNTech’s mRNA vaccine facility in Kigali marks a defining step in Africa’s …
Read More »
The Independent Uganda: You get the Truth we Pay the Price