GENEVA | Xinhua | The World Health Organisation on Sunday determined that the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda constitutes a “public health emergency of international concern.” The WHO said on social media platform X that the outbreak, caused by the Bundibugyo virus, does not …
Read More »Africa CDC, WHO call for greater preparedness despite low hantavirus risk in Africa
ADDIS ABABA | Xinhua | The Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) and the World Health Organization (WHO) on Tuesday urged health authorities and the general public to remain alert and strengthen hantavirus surveillance measures despite the outbreak being categorized as low risk to public health …
Read More »WHO: Hepatitis progress too slow despite global gains
The WHO estimates 287 million people were living with chronic hepatitis B or C infection NEWS ANALYSIS | THE INDEPENDENT | Global efforts to tackle viral hepatitis are delivering measurable progress, but the disease remains a major public health threat, according to a new World Health Organization (WHO) report …
Read More »WHO prequalifies first ever malaria treatment for newborns
Kampala, Uganda | URN | The World Health Organization (WHO) has announced a significant step forward in the fight against malaria with the prequalification of the first treatment developed specifically for newborns and young infants weighing between two and five kilograms. The prequalification designation indicates that the medicine meets international …
Read More »Govt to roll out use of lenacapavir anti-HIV injection on Friday
Kampala, Uganda | URN | The Ministry of Health will, on Friday, roll out the countrywide use of Lenacapavir injection at Lira Regional Referral Hospital. In July last year, the World Health Organization (WHO) released guidelines recommending the use of injectable lenacapvir(LEN) twice a year as an additional pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) …
Read More »Virunga surveillance push targets zoonotic spillover risks
Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | In one of Africa’s most epidemiologically sensitive ecosystems, the gap between detection and response remains a defining vulnerability. The Greater Virunga Landscape where humans, livestock, and wildlife interact daily has long been identified as a potential hotspot for zoonotic spillovers, with implications that extend …
Read More »Inside Uganda’s push to strengthen district health leadership
One of the clearest signs of progress is the growing transformation of district data systems NEWS ANALYSIS | THE INDEPENDENT | Across the winding corridors of district health offices in Uganda, a quiet but profound transformation is taking place. It is not marked by grand announcements or sweeping reforms but by …
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 »How Africa is confronting its health workforce exodus
As rising migration levels combine with chronic shortages and rising population levels to place further strain on health systems, African governments are responding with a coordinated, decade-long agenda to train, deploy, and retain health workers. SPECIAL REPORT | BIRD AGENCY | African governments have agreed on a 10-year agenda to …
Read More »New study: Injectable HIV treatment safe, preferred in Africa
Currently, HIV treatment involves taking a daily pill that combines three or four medicines that work together to control the virus Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | A new study done in three African countries has found that injectable HIV treatment, Cabotegravir/Rilpivirine (CAB LA + RPV LA), administered every …
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The Independent Uganda: You get the Truth we Pay the Price