Uganda to start aerial spraying of tsetse flies
Monday, 21st September, 2009 from NEW VISION
UGANDA is to start aerial spraying to eradicate tsetse flies, which cause sleeping sickness in humans and nagana in cattle. Uganda is one of the 37 sub-Sahara African countries infested with tsetse flies. Two-thirds of the country is affected, putting about nine million people at risk of contracting sleeping sickness. About 700 new cases are reported annually. Also, 70% of Uganda’s national herd is at risk of contracting nagana. Agriculture minister Hope Mwesigye said aerial spraying would be carried out in the south-eastern and north-western regions, which are heavily-infested with three major tsetse fly species which cause an acute form of sleeping sickness, as well as another chronic form of the disease. “We have been having many interventions such as tsetse traps, but we are now looking at spraying, which is an area-wide approach. The tsetse flies keep coming from the game parks, so aerial spraying will eradicate sleeping sickness and nagana. The chemical does not affect humans,” Mwesigye said. She called for investment in research and the development of more effective drugs against sleeping sickness and nagana. “There is no vaccine against this disease and no new drugs are being developed. Currently, there is also a limited range of drugs. These drugs are highly toxic and increasingly becoming ineffective due to drug resistance.” Mwesigye was addressing the 30th international scientific council for trypanosomiasis research and control conference at Speke Resort, Munyonyo yesterday. The minister, however, did not disclose the amount of funds that will be involved in the programme or when it would start. She noted that the programme is in its initial stages and a technical team is jointly being put in place by the health and animal husbandry ministries. The districts infested with tsetse flies include Mukono, Kayunga, Jinja, Kamuli, Bugiri, Kaliro, Busia, Mayuge, Iganga, Pallisa, Soroti, Tororo, Dokolo, Lira, Kaberamaido, Kalangala and Namutumba. Others are Adjumani, Koboko, Arua, Moyo, Maracha-Terego, Yumbe and Amuru. President Yoweri Museveni, in a speech read by second deputy premier Eriya Kategaya, said Africa is lagging behind in development due to the high burden of preventable diseases. He said Uganda had developed a national programme to eliminate tsetse flies.
Monday, September 21, 2009
Thursday, September 10, 2009
NEWS: Cerebral Malaria- Shortage of drugs increases infections
Cerebral Malaria- Shortage of drugs increases infectionsSunday, 6th September, 2009 from NEW VISION
In the past six months, Uganda has seen an increase in cerebral malaria cases, which experts at the Malaria Consortium, an international organisation that controls the disease at all levels, are attributing to a shortage of malaria drugs throughout the country. The Consortium blames the shortage of drugs on poor planning and the stalling of the Global Fund disbursement that was effected early last year. However, when approached, the health ministry officials declined to comment. According to Daniel Kyabiirize, an epidemiologist at the Malaria Consortium, Uganda has over 300,000 cases of malaria a year, and 25% progress to cerebral malaria. Cerebral malaria is a complication of a type of malaria parasite called plasmodium falciparium. It is a more advanced and dangerous form of malaria. It causes neurological disorders and can also lead to death. This condition occurs when malaria goes untreated. Patients experience symptoms between 10 and 35 days after the mosquito bite. The parasites multiply in the body’s blood cells and block the blood’s pathway. This leads to a shortage of oxygen and nutrients in the brain, causing neurological disorders and death. Symptoms Symptoms include high fever, severe headache, drowsiness, unconsciousness, seizures, delirium and confusion. One in nine patients who survive cerebral malaria develops epilepsy. Although 50% of epilepsy cases have had no malaria, the disease is linked to cerebral malaria, especially among children. “Because of the brain involvement with cerebral malaria, patients sometimes get convulsions or seizures,” says David Basangwa, a psychologist at Butabika Hospital. In most cases, epileptic patients seek the help of traditional healers, believing that the disease has spiritual causes. Though medication that helps reduce seizures is prescribed in health centres, it has side effects like drowsiness which interferes with other medications. Dr. Richard Idro, a paediatrician at Mulago Hospital, says cerebral malaria causes serious neurological problems, such as cerebral palsy, learning problems, hyperactivity, as well as blindness and hearing problems. Who is at risk? Children, visitors from non-malaria endemic areas, women in their first pregnancies, and people who live in Kabale and the highlands are susceptible. During the first six months of a child’s life, a baby retains antibodies from its mother, who has some resistance to malaria. But these soon wear off. The child is unprotected and can easily develop malaria infections until they develop immunity. A major challenge that Uganda faces is the shortage of neurologists to handle the consequences of severe malaria. Most specialists are based in Mulago, and Mbarara hospitals or the Kampala-based Butabika hospital. “This has led to a current increase in mental illness and disease,” says Kyabirize. Curbing the condition Treatment aught to be within 24 hours of experiencing fever. The Ministry of Health recommends treated mosquito nets to prevent malaria infection. Spraying of chemicals in homes has also helped reduce the rates of malaria infection. Get rid of latent containers of water where mosquitoes might breed. Cases of the disease in Uganda 25% of cases are cerebral, a dangerous form of malaria Of the 300,000 malaria cases a year, 75,000 are cerebral Dangers of cerebral malaria Death:15-20% of children die Epilepsy Blindness, deafness Neurological disorders Learning problems
Monday, August 17, 2009
NEWS: Typhoid kills 20 in Bukwo
Typhoid kills 20 in Bukwo
from MONITOR online August 17, 2009
BukwoDespite efforts by the government to combat typhoid in Bukwo District, fresh reports indicate that the disease is still spreading in the district and that at least 20 people have succumbed to it.The Ministry of Health Field Epidemiologist, Dr Luswa Lukwago, who has been on research and surveillance in the district, confirmed to Daily Monitor the new development on the epidemic.He said: “Over 20 people have been reported dead and on average every family has about four cases.” “Although we have treated the disease, recent research and surveillance indicates that the disease is still in Suam, Kapkorosoy, Kapkuripson and Kabei sub-counties,” he added.Dr Lukwago said this after making a presentation of the disease status report to the district team on Wednesday.He said many cases never receive adequate treatment and others who fled to Kenya came back.“We have been treating patients using chlorampheonical and ceftraxone but the two drugs ran out of stock, forcing many to seek traditional means,” he said.Dr Lukwago said the poor latrine distribution in the district and the free movement across the border points between Uganda and Kenya is responsible for the disease spread in the wake of shortage of drugs.Bukwo has 57 per cent latrine coverage in the district and most of them are open structures that leave the human waste exposed.Also about 400 cases are believed to have fled to Kenya after the disease broke out in the villages surrounding River Bukwo and are now returning.He revealed that because many people died without getting medical attention, they have lost faith in the local health system and have now turned to Kenya where they believe they will receive better medical services.The World Health Organisation Public Health Specialist, Dr Mary Amongin, confirmed the disease is still spreading in Bukwo, claiming about 22 people and leaving about 32 bed-ridden in Bukwo Health Centre.
from MONITOR online August 17, 2009
BukwoDespite efforts by the government to combat typhoid in Bukwo District, fresh reports indicate that the disease is still spreading in the district and that at least 20 people have succumbed to it.The Ministry of Health Field Epidemiologist, Dr Luswa Lukwago, who has been on research and surveillance in the district, confirmed to Daily Monitor the new development on the epidemic.He said: “Over 20 people have been reported dead and on average every family has about four cases.” “Although we have treated the disease, recent research and surveillance indicates that the disease is still in Suam, Kapkorosoy, Kapkuripson and Kabei sub-counties,” he added.Dr Lukwago said this after making a presentation of the disease status report to the district team on Wednesday.He said many cases never receive adequate treatment and others who fled to Kenya came back.“We have been treating patients using chlorampheonical and ceftraxone but the two drugs ran out of stock, forcing many to seek traditional means,” he said.Dr Lukwago said the poor latrine distribution in the district and the free movement across the border points between Uganda and Kenya is responsible for the disease spread in the wake of shortage of drugs.Bukwo has 57 per cent latrine coverage in the district and most of them are open structures that leave the human waste exposed.Also about 400 cases are believed to have fled to Kenya after the disease broke out in the villages surrounding River Bukwo and are now returning.He revealed that because many people died without getting medical attention, they have lost faith in the local health system and have now turned to Kenya where they believe they will receive better medical services.The World Health Organisation Public Health Specialist, Dr Mary Amongin, confirmed the disease is still spreading in Bukwo, claiming about 22 people and leaving about 32 bed-ridden in Bukwo Health Centre.
N EWS: NDA bans use of Metakeflin to treat Malaria
NDA bans use of Metakeflin to treat Malariafrom MONITOR online 8/17/09
National Drug Authority (NDA) Executive Secretary, Apollo Muhairwe with the banned Metakelfin at NDA offices. Muhairwe urged patients not to buy Metakelfin for any therapeutic purposes. Photo by Nelson Wesonga
The National Drug Authority (NDA), the national drug regulator, has banned the use of Metakeflin tablets which are used to treat malaria.Addressing a press conference today morning at the NDA offices in Kampala, the regulator’s Chief Executive Officer, Apollo Muhairwe said this follows a change in the Malaria Treatment Policy by the Ministry of Health in which Artemisinin based Combination Therapies (ACTs) were adopted as first line treatment for uncomplicated malaria.“Thus, all antimalarials that do not contain ACTs were phased out in that regard, in order to curb the emerging resistance amongst the available ant malarial drugs,” Mr Muhairwe said.Mr Muhairwe told journalists that NDA stopped the importation of Metakelfin (sulphurmethoxypyrazin/pyrimethamine) in May last year. Mr Muhairwe also showed journalists some of the tablets that were seized after they discovered they found their way into the country through unscrupulous means. Out of every 15 batches, 10 of them were counterfeit.All drug stores have been asked to surrender all the stocks of Metakelfin to the drugs authority.
Friday, August 7, 2009
NEWS: Jinja man dies after taking expired drugs
Jinja man dies after taking expired drugs
August 7, 2009 from MONITOR online
JinjaOne man has died and another is in critical condition after taking suspected expired drugs in Jinja. Bonny Ojede, a resident of Jinja Town, died on Tuesday at Jinja Hospital after almost all the skin had peeled off his body in spite of all efforts by the medical staff to save his life.The Nursing Officer in charge of Ward Four, Ms Mebra Namaganda, told Daily Monitor on Wednesday that Ojede was admitted at the hospital two weeks ago after he had undergone self medication against malaria with unknown drugs that he had bought from a local drug shop yet to be established. Ojede was buried yesterday at Ayeri Sub-county in Apac District.Another patient is in critical condition from a similar cause. Mr Samuel Mukisa of Ibulanku Sub-county in Iganga District, is still undergoing treatment at the same hospital but Ms Namaganda said his condition is still critical. He is also suspected to have taken expired drugs from a local drug store. According to Jinja Hospital staff, Mr Mukisa’s condition has continued to be worrying because his skin continues to peel off despite all the medication that has been administered to him. Ms Namaganda said although the cause has not yet been established, poisoning arising from the consumption of expired drugs cannot at the moment be completely ruled out.Mr Mukisa’s wife, Esther Namaganda, a teacher at Nakalama Muslim Primary School, said since she does not stay with her husband, a teacher at Nakivumbi Nursery and Primary School, she was not there when he took the drugs but found some in the house the next day.“When I was called the next day, I found Herpex, Coartem and Panadol tablets in the house,” she said. She said her husband told her that he had bought the drugs from a local drug shop after developing a cold and used them as per the prescription given by the person who sold them to him.She tearfully narrated that just after one day, her husband had developed blisters all over the body and he could not see properly. “We first went to Iganga Hospital from where we were referred here (Jinja Hospital) where he has undergone treatment for the past two weeks,” she said.
August 7, 2009 from MONITOR online
JinjaOne man has died and another is in critical condition after taking suspected expired drugs in Jinja. Bonny Ojede, a resident of Jinja Town, died on Tuesday at Jinja Hospital after almost all the skin had peeled off his body in spite of all efforts by the medical staff to save his life.The Nursing Officer in charge of Ward Four, Ms Mebra Namaganda, told Daily Monitor on Wednesday that Ojede was admitted at the hospital two weeks ago after he had undergone self medication against malaria with unknown drugs that he had bought from a local drug shop yet to be established. Ojede was buried yesterday at Ayeri Sub-county in Apac District.Another patient is in critical condition from a similar cause. Mr Samuel Mukisa of Ibulanku Sub-county in Iganga District, is still undergoing treatment at the same hospital but Ms Namaganda said his condition is still critical. He is also suspected to have taken expired drugs from a local drug store. According to Jinja Hospital staff, Mr Mukisa’s condition has continued to be worrying because his skin continues to peel off despite all the medication that has been administered to him. Ms Namaganda said although the cause has not yet been established, poisoning arising from the consumption of expired drugs cannot at the moment be completely ruled out.Mr Mukisa’s wife, Esther Namaganda, a teacher at Nakalama Muslim Primary School, said since she does not stay with her husband, a teacher at Nakivumbi Nursery and Primary School, she was not there when he took the drugs but found some in the house the next day.“When I was called the next day, I found Herpex, Coartem and Panadol tablets in the house,” she said. She said her husband told her that he had bought the drugs from a local drug shop after developing a cold and used them as per the prescription given by the person who sold them to him.She tearfully narrated that just after one day, her husband had developed blisters all over the body and he could not see properly. “We first went to Iganga Hospital from where we were referred here (Jinja Hospital) where he has undergone treatment for the past two weeks,” she said.
Wednesday, July 15, 2009
NEWS: Drought bites northern Uganda
Drought bites northern Uganda
from MONITOR ONLINE
GuluFollowing a lull in war in northern Uganda in the last three years, Mr Nicholas Obita returned to his village in Bwobo, Manun Parish, Alero Sub-county in Amuru District. A place he considers a safe haven because of its fertile soils.Like many farmers, Mr Obita embarked on agriculture both for consumption and commercial purposes with hope of getting a good harvest.However, the peaceful sanctuary has turned into the scene of catastrophe as he watches his crops waste away due to drought.“Three months ago, I hired a tractor and opened up over 15 acres for different crops. I planted maize in an eight- acre piece of land and I was expecting to get over 200 bags but the rain has let me down. I am headed for a total loss,” Mr Obita says.He says the wet season that usually lasts between March and June disappeared too soon and the rain was too little to sustain the crops. Mr Obita is one of the farmers in northern Uganda who were determined to forget about squalid living conditions they experienced in camps and concentrate on farming.Their dreams of having a good harvest are fading away as the drought continues to bite hard. Mr Albert Okwera, a lead farmer in Pawel Parish in Gulu District, said the dry spell has destroyed 120 acres of crops. He says last year he earned Shs6 million from the sale of sweet potatoes but that might not be possible this year. “I decided to increase the acres and planted more crops this year. I was hoping to get a good harvest and earn more money. The rice that I planted three months ago has failed to grow,” he explained. Gulu Resident District Commissioner Walter Ochora, who is a commercial farmer in Amuru District, is also feeling the pinch of the dry spell. He says the sun has destroyed his 100 acres of maize crop.Mr Ochora says it is important that farmers resort to planting perennial crops like cow peas, which are drought resistant to minimise vulnerability in case of a crisis like the current one which is causing distress in many parts of the country.Ms Christine Aber, who belongs to a farmers’ group in Kitgum District, says at the beginning of the year the group planted over 10 acres of groundnuts but the crops have succumbed to the scorching sun. “My children are starving, I sell charcoal to buy food, if people don’t buy the charcoal I don’t get money for food,” she says. This nightmare scenario is the reality for farmers of northern Uganda.Climate change is bringing huge challenges. In a bid to address the challenge the Agriculture and Fisheries State Minister, Mr Fred Mukisa, says the government has allocated Shs5 billion for the development of irrigation schemes in selected parts of the country.Mr Mukisa explains that the project, which comes at a time when many parts of the country are experiencing drought because of climatic changes, is expected to benefit farmers in rural areas across the country.
from MONITOR ONLINE
GuluFollowing a lull in war in northern Uganda in the last three years, Mr Nicholas Obita returned to his village in Bwobo, Manun Parish, Alero Sub-county in Amuru District. A place he considers a safe haven because of its fertile soils.Like many farmers, Mr Obita embarked on agriculture both for consumption and commercial purposes with hope of getting a good harvest.However, the peaceful sanctuary has turned into the scene of catastrophe as he watches his crops waste away due to drought.“Three months ago, I hired a tractor and opened up over 15 acres for different crops. I planted maize in an eight- acre piece of land and I was expecting to get over 200 bags but the rain has let me down. I am headed for a total loss,” Mr Obita says.He says the wet season that usually lasts between March and June disappeared too soon and the rain was too little to sustain the crops. Mr Obita is one of the farmers in northern Uganda who were determined to forget about squalid living conditions they experienced in camps and concentrate on farming.Their dreams of having a good harvest are fading away as the drought continues to bite hard. Mr Albert Okwera, a lead farmer in Pawel Parish in Gulu District, said the dry spell has destroyed 120 acres of crops. He says last year he earned Shs6 million from the sale of sweet potatoes but that might not be possible this year. “I decided to increase the acres and planted more crops this year. I was hoping to get a good harvest and earn more money. The rice that I planted three months ago has failed to grow,” he explained. Gulu Resident District Commissioner Walter Ochora, who is a commercial farmer in Amuru District, is also feeling the pinch of the dry spell. He says the sun has destroyed his 100 acres of maize crop.Mr Ochora says it is important that farmers resort to planting perennial crops like cow peas, which are drought resistant to minimise vulnerability in case of a crisis like the current one which is causing distress in many parts of the country.Ms Christine Aber, who belongs to a farmers’ group in Kitgum District, says at the beginning of the year the group planted over 10 acres of groundnuts but the crops have succumbed to the scorching sun. “My children are starving, I sell charcoal to buy food, if people don’t buy the charcoal I don’t get money for food,” she says. This nightmare scenario is the reality for farmers of northern Uganda.Climate change is bringing huge challenges. In a bid to address the challenge the Agriculture and Fisheries State Minister, Mr Fred Mukisa, says the government has allocated Shs5 billion for the development of irrigation schemes in selected parts of the country.Mr Mukisa explains that the project, which comes at a time when many parts of the country are experiencing drought because of climatic changes, is expected to benefit farmers in rural areas across the country.
NEWS: Food shortage hits 52 districts
Food shortage hits 52 districts
Wednesday, 15th July, 2009
SEVENTEEN districts in the north and northeastern Uganda are experiencing famine, the Prime Minister, Prof. Apolo Nsibambi, told Parliament yesterday. He said 52 districts countrywide were faced with food insecurity. Nsibambi categorised the food crisis in three levels; famine, acute food shortage and moderate food shortage. He was contributing to the debate on the recent State of the Nation address by President Museveni. Famine, he said, was being experienced in Amuria, Katakwi, Kaberamaido, Bukedea, Kumi, Soroti, Bukwo, Adjumani, Arua, Koboko, Moyo, Yumbe, Moroto, Kotido, Kaabong, Nakapiripirit and Abim. The Prime Minister told the House presided over by the deputy Speaker, Rebecca Kadaga, that acute food shortage was being experienced in 31 districts, while four districts faced moderate food shortage. He named persistent poor agricultural performance in Karamoja, the continued stay of people in internally displaced person’s camps in Acholi and Adjumani, the impact of the 2007 floods in Teso and dry conditions along the cattle corridor as the major causes. Nsibambi said the Government released sh10b in June and another sh10b for food relief. He added that the department of relief and disaster preparedness and refugees needed an additional sh30b to alleviate the situation. Nsibambi pointed out that the National Agricultural Advisory Services was distributing free maize, sorghum seeds, cassava cuttings and farming implements, including hand hoes and fertilisers, to the affected households. He noted the need to shift from reliance on rain-fed agriculture to irrigation and tapping gravitational water from Sipi falls off Mt. Elgon for irrigation in Teso and Karamoja. He announced that sh5b had been allocated for irrigation systems and that $100m (about sh200b) was being secured from the Islamic Bank to support the scheme. Nsibambi said the Cabinet, chaired by President Museveni, had on Wednesday deliberated on the food security issues. “I have requested the Minister of Local Government to use Section 95 of the Local Government Act to direct districts to make ordinances (bye-laws) which will compel homesteads to maintain granaries for food storage,” he stated. He said climate change, increasing occurrences of extreme weather and climate variability like droughts, floods, hailstorms, heat waves were caused by an accumulation of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. Seasons, he said, had become erratic and difficult to predict. “While advancement in technology had made it possible to predict climate six months in advance, it is still difficult to predict the distribution of rainfall over seasons,” he said. In Uganda, the rainy season had not performed according to the forecasts, Nsibambi added. He noted that security situation in the north and north eastern Uganda had normalised.
Wednesday, 15th July, 2009
SEVENTEEN districts in the north and northeastern Uganda are experiencing famine, the Prime Minister, Prof. Apolo Nsibambi, told Parliament yesterday. He said 52 districts countrywide were faced with food insecurity. Nsibambi categorised the food crisis in three levels; famine, acute food shortage and moderate food shortage. He was contributing to the debate on the recent State of the Nation address by President Museveni. Famine, he said, was being experienced in Amuria, Katakwi, Kaberamaido, Bukedea, Kumi, Soroti, Bukwo, Adjumani, Arua, Koboko, Moyo, Yumbe, Moroto, Kotido, Kaabong, Nakapiripirit and Abim. The Prime Minister told the House presided over by the deputy Speaker, Rebecca Kadaga, that acute food shortage was being experienced in 31 districts, while four districts faced moderate food shortage. He named persistent poor agricultural performance in Karamoja, the continued stay of people in internally displaced person’s camps in Acholi and Adjumani, the impact of the 2007 floods in Teso and dry conditions along the cattle corridor as the major causes. Nsibambi said the Government released sh10b in June and another sh10b for food relief. He added that the department of relief and disaster preparedness and refugees needed an additional sh30b to alleviate the situation. Nsibambi pointed out that the National Agricultural Advisory Services was distributing free maize, sorghum seeds, cassava cuttings and farming implements, including hand hoes and fertilisers, to the affected households. He noted the need to shift from reliance on rain-fed agriculture to irrigation and tapping gravitational water from Sipi falls off Mt. Elgon for irrigation in Teso and Karamoja. He announced that sh5b had been allocated for irrigation systems and that $100m (about sh200b) was being secured from the Islamic Bank to support the scheme. Nsibambi said the Cabinet, chaired by President Museveni, had on Wednesday deliberated on the food security issues. “I have requested the Minister of Local Government to use Section 95 of the Local Government Act to direct districts to make ordinances (bye-laws) which will compel homesteads to maintain granaries for food storage,” he stated. He said climate change, increasing occurrences of extreme weather and climate variability like droughts, floods, hailstorms, heat waves were caused by an accumulation of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. Seasons, he said, had become erratic and difficult to predict. “While advancement in technology had made it possible to predict climate six months in advance, it is still difficult to predict the distribution of rainfall over seasons,” he said. In Uganda, the rainy season had not performed according to the forecasts, Nsibambi added. He noted that security situation in the north and north eastern Uganda had normalised.
NEWS: Arua in plague outbreak alert
Arua in plague outbreak alert
from MONITOR ONLINE
The community in Arua District has been put on high alert over an outbreak of a deadly bubonic plague disease that killed 17 people last year. In this regard, the Ministry of Health in collaboration with the Arua health team launched a campaign on Friday to sensitise the community on causes, signs and symptoms and prevention of the deadly disease. The District Health Officer, Dr Patrick Anguzu, said the campaign is a precautionary measure in case of any outbreak. “Our community must keep their environment clean especially the houses because the rats that transmit the disease thrive in unclean environment.” In bubonic plague, the most common form, bacteria infects the lymph system and becomes inflamed. The lymph or lymphatic system is a major component of the body’s immune system. Dr Anguzu told Daily Monitor that no new case of the disease has yet been reported in the district this year. Last years’ statistics from Arua health office indicate that 73 cases of human infections and 17 deaths were reported, the highest figure in two years. Dr Anguzu added that 29 cases have since been confirmed to be of bubonic strain. “This is the season that we highly suspect the outbreak of the disease. So we need to keep the community on alert,” he added. Within three to seven days of exposure to the plague bacteria, a person develops flu-like symptoms such as fever, headache, chills, weakness, and swollen, tender lymph glands. The community sensitisation campaign is being carried out in the disease prone areas of Vurra and Logiri. But even then, the surrounding area of Kango Sub-county in Nebbi, which borders Logiri, must not be left out. Historically, the bubonic plague is reported to have originated from the Democratic Republic of Congo especially from Aru and Ariwara. The campaign, Dr Anguzu said, is aimed at educating residents who keep pets like cats, which are also susceptible to plague. In this case, infected cats become sick and may directly transmit plague to people who handle or care for them.
from MONITOR ONLINE
The community in Arua District has been put on high alert over an outbreak of a deadly bubonic plague disease that killed 17 people last year. In this regard, the Ministry of Health in collaboration with the Arua health team launched a campaign on Friday to sensitise the community on causes, signs and symptoms and prevention of the deadly disease. The District Health Officer, Dr Patrick Anguzu, said the campaign is a precautionary measure in case of any outbreak. “Our community must keep their environment clean especially the houses because the rats that transmit the disease thrive in unclean environment.” In bubonic plague, the most common form, bacteria infects the lymph system and becomes inflamed. The lymph or lymphatic system is a major component of the body’s immune system. Dr Anguzu told Daily Monitor that no new case of the disease has yet been reported in the district this year. Last years’ statistics from Arua health office indicate that 73 cases of human infections and 17 deaths were reported, the highest figure in two years. Dr Anguzu added that 29 cases have since been confirmed to be of bubonic strain. “This is the season that we highly suspect the outbreak of the disease. So we need to keep the community on alert,” he added. Within three to seven days of exposure to the plague bacteria, a person develops flu-like symptoms such as fever, headache, chills, weakness, and swollen, tender lymph glands. The community sensitisation campaign is being carried out in the disease prone areas of Vurra and Logiri. But even then, the surrounding area of Kango Sub-county in Nebbi, which borders Logiri, must not be left out. Historically, the bubonic plague is reported to have originated from the Democratic Republic of Congo especially from Aru and Ariwara. The campaign, Dr Anguzu said, is aimed at educating residents who keep pets like cats, which are also susceptible to plague. In this case, infected cats become sick and may directly transmit plague to people who handle or care for them.
NEWS: Uganda Heart Institute becomes independent
Uganda Heart Institute becomes independent
from MONITOR ONLINE
A 40-bed in-patient heart institute, to engage in preventive, curative, educational, rehabilitation and research activities on cardiac diseases has been opened in Mulago Hospital.
The Uganda Heart Institute, which boosts a 12- bed intensive care unit, has been curved out of the hospital.
According to Dr John Omagino, the director of the institute, important aspects like specific training to become a cardiac surgeon and promotional benefits which were ignored while still under Mulago, are to be considered. The institute will offer diagnostic services, surgery and training of staff from different institutions like Makerere University, Kampala International and Nsambya hospitals among others.
On average, it receives 100 patients a day. Though the institute had always been carrying out different types of surgeries, it received public recognition in 2007 after a successful open heart surgery that saw the President Museveni visit it. Last month, the institute carried out the successful heart operation of 102-year-old Ssebowa.
An open heart surgery is between $500-700 (about Shs1 million – Shs 1.5 million) while a closed one is $1,500 (about Shs3 million). Though it has become a separate entity, Dr Omagino assures of its continued relationship with Mulago Hospital.
from MONITOR ONLINE
A 40-bed in-patient heart institute, to engage in preventive, curative, educational, rehabilitation and research activities on cardiac diseases has been opened in Mulago Hospital.
The Uganda Heart Institute, which boosts a 12- bed intensive care unit, has been curved out of the hospital.
According to Dr John Omagino, the director of the institute, important aspects like specific training to become a cardiac surgeon and promotional benefits which were ignored while still under Mulago, are to be considered. The institute will offer diagnostic services, surgery and training of staff from different institutions like Makerere University, Kampala International and Nsambya hospitals among others.
On average, it receives 100 patients a day. Though the institute had always been carrying out different types of surgeries, it received public recognition in 2007 after a successful open heart surgery that saw the President Museveni visit it. Last month, the institute carried out the successful heart operation of 102-year-old Ssebowa.
An open heart surgery is between $500-700 (about Shs1 million – Shs 1.5 million) while a closed one is $1,500 (about Shs3 million). Though it has become a separate entity, Dr Omagino assures of its continued relationship with Mulago Hospital.
NEWS: Amuru grapples with doctor shortage
Amuru grapples with doctor shortage
from MONITOR ONLINE
All through the peak of insurgency in northern Uganda, Esther Achen, 54, spent two decades in Amuru District, the epicentre of armed conflict, serving as a midwife at Anaka Hospital. Ms Achen, who comes from the neighbouring Lango sub-region in Apac District, persevered and did not quit her job, risking possible abduction by the Lord’s Resistance Army rebels. Her motivation was to serve fellow displaced persons, the poor and helpless, who did not have any other specialised medical worker to attend to them, or had difficulty accessing a doctor while in the camps.Unfortunately, she suffered a severe stroke in 2001 while at the hospital attending to patients. The stroke paralysed both her limbs, leaving her physically impaired.Knowing she would not even get much help at her home in Apac, due to poor health services, Ms Achen preferred to stay at Anaka Hospital where she is well known and could access some medical help. “My mother is too old to take care of me, and my sisters have all died. I prefer here because my husband has been supportive,” she says.To keep alive, the retired midwife needs the attention and support of a specialist in physiotherapy. However, Amuru District Health Officer (DHO) is worried that doctors to attend to patients like Ms Achen are lacking in the district.Other than people who suffer strokes, the over two decades armed conflict in the region has created unprecedented levels of trauma, but like in the case of Ms Achen, these people need more doctors and physiotherapists.The officer in charge of physiotherapy department at Anaka Hospital, Mr Paul Otit, said last week during the hand over of orthopedic equipment worth Shs25 million that more patients are reporting to the hospital. “We have been receiving 20-30 patients on a monthly basis,” he said.Mr Otit observed that more women in the district were suffering physical impairment compared to men because of the heavy domestic work women are subjected to. “Heavy workload without enough rest, has made many women become victims of impairment,” he explained.Amuru DHO, Dr Patrick Odong Olwedo said:“Medical personnel remains a challenge in the hospital, we urge the Ministry of Health for support.” He said Amuru has only one psychotherapist instead of four, and one doctor instead of six.
from MONITOR ONLINE
All through the peak of insurgency in northern Uganda, Esther Achen, 54, spent two decades in Amuru District, the epicentre of armed conflict, serving as a midwife at Anaka Hospital. Ms Achen, who comes from the neighbouring Lango sub-region in Apac District, persevered and did not quit her job, risking possible abduction by the Lord’s Resistance Army rebels. Her motivation was to serve fellow displaced persons, the poor and helpless, who did not have any other specialised medical worker to attend to them, or had difficulty accessing a doctor while in the camps.Unfortunately, she suffered a severe stroke in 2001 while at the hospital attending to patients. The stroke paralysed both her limbs, leaving her physically impaired.Knowing she would not even get much help at her home in Apac, due to poor health services, Ms Achen preferred to stay at Anaka Hospital where she is well known and could access some medical help. “My mother is too old to take care of me, and my sisters have all died. I prefer here because my husband has been supportive,” she says.To keep alive, the retired midwife needs the attention and support of a specialist in physiotherapy. However, Amuru District Health Officer (DHO) is worried that doctors to attend to patients like Ms Achen are lacking in the district.Other than people who suffer strokes, the over two decades armed conflict in the region has created unprecedented levels of trauma, but like in the case of Ms Achen, these people need more doctors and physiotherapists.The officer in charge of physiotherapy department at Anaka Hospital, Mr Paul Otit, said last week during the hand over of orthopedic equipment worth Shs25 million that more patients are reporting to the hospital. “We have been receiving 20-30 patients on a monthly basis,” he said.Mr Otit observed that more women in the district were suffering physical impairment compared to men because of the heavy domestic work women are subjected to. “Heavy workload without enough rest, has made many women become victims of impairment,” he explained.Amuru DHO, Dr Patrick Odong Olwedo said:“Medical personnel remains a challenge in the hospital, we urge the Ministry of Health for support.” He said Amuru has only one psychotherapist instead of four, and one doctor instead of six.
NEWS: Cholera kills two in Busia
Cholera kills two in Busia
from MONITOR ONLINE
Two people in Busia have died of cholera. Four others are undergoing treatment at Busia Red Cross Health Unit IV, Daily Monitor has learnt.One of the deceased was identified as Ibrahim Ojuku, who died on July 10. The other who was not be identified by press time reportedly died at Majengo Private Clinic in Busia. Officials at the clinic denied the death claims but eye witnesses confirmed it to Daily Monitor.The District Health Officer, Dr Oundo Bwire, confirmed the outbreak of the disease over the weekend. Dr Bwire said specimen have been taken to Mbale Regional Referral Hospital for examination.The officer- in-charge of the Red Cross Health Centre IV, Mr Wabwire Omolo named those undergoing treatment as Thabe Nambozo, a student of Manafa Secondary School in Manafwa District and Joyce Phiant, a student of St. John Secondary School in Busia. Others are Florence Akumu, Wycliffe Lubezi and one called Kafiri. Mr Omolo said the affected areas are Arubaine, Nangwe, Custom, villages,all in Busia Town Council. Mr Wabwire said although the conditions of the patients have improved, they cannot be discharged for fear that they will spread the disease.Residents accused town council authorities of failure to collect garbage, leading to the spread of the disease. However, the mayor, Mr Michael Mugeni, denied the accusations, saying he had improved hygiene in the town, which according to him was in a poor state when he came to office.
from MONITOR ONLINE
Two people in Busia have died of cholera. Four others are undergoing treatment at Busia Red Cross Health Unit IV, Daily Monitor has learnt.One of the deceased was identified as Ibrahim Ojuku, who died on July 10. The other who was not be identified by press time reportedly died at Majengo Private Clinic in Busia. Officials at the clinic denied the death claims but eye witnesses confirmed it to Daily Monitor.The District Health Officer, Dr Oundo Bwire, confirmed the outbreak of the disease over the weekend. Dr Bwire said specimen have been taken to Mbale Regional Referral Hospital for examination.The officer- in-charge of the Red Cross Health Centre IV, Mr Wabwire Omolo named those undergoing treatment as Thabe Nambozo, a student of Manafa Secondary School in Manafwa District and Joyce Phiant, a student of St. John Secondary School in Busia. Others are Florence Akumu, Wycliffe Lubezi and one called Kafiri. Mr Omolo said the affected areas are Arubaine, Nangwe, Custom, villages,all in Busia Town Council. Mr Wabwire said although the conditions of the patients have improved, they cannot be discharged for fear that they will spread the disease.Residents accused town council authorities of failure to collect garbage, leading to the spread of the disease. However, the mayor, Mr Michael Mugeni, denied the accusations, saying he had improved hygiene in the town, which according to him was in a poor state when he came to office.
NEWS: Teso leaders ask government for more food relief
Teso leaders ask government for more food relief
Leaders in Teso sub-region, which is currently experiencing famine, have appealed for more food aid as hunger stalks more people.
During celebrations to mark the World Population Day over the weekend in Katakwi, one of the districts worst-hit by the famine, the district chairperson, Mr Robert Ekongot, said the situation was not getting any better. “What we need at this material point in time is more emergency food relief to save the population from hunger,” he said.
According to Mr Ekongot, the food insecurity in the region has largely been a result of external factors and not laziness as has been indicated by some leaders.
Although the government has responded by allocating Shs20 billion to buy relief food, it says it will need up to Shs170 billion to feed the most vulnerable people.
Mr Ekongot said the government should instead invest in long term solutions to address the situation including setting up irrigation schemes that will improve agricultural production even in times of drought.
The World Population Day was marked under the theme, “Empowering Communities to Overcome the Challenges of Poverty.’’ The acting Director of the Population Secretariat, Mr Charles Zirarema, said the celebrations were taken to Katakwi District to raise awareness about poverty that is rife in Teso region.
On Monday, Amuria District chairperson Julius Ochen told Daily Monitor that the situation was still grim as food aid that was delivered has not reached all sub-counties. As a result, he said, most families had resorted to eating wild leaves which are also posing a health threat.
“We visited Ajel village in Acowa Sub-county where we found some families had developed running stomachs after eating some wild leaves,” Mr Ochen said. He said children and women are particularly more vulnerable to the famine which has so far claimed 12 lives in the region since May.
According to Mr Ochen, the 200 bags of maize grain given to each sub-county is not enough to meet the food needs of the people. “This food aid can only last a few days before it gets finished. The government needs to come up with a way of increasing the food ration given to the residents,” he said.
Leaders in Teso sub-region, which is currently experiencing famine, have appealed for more food aid as hunger stalks more people.
During celebrations to mark the World Population Day over the weekend in Katakwi, one of the districts worst-hit by the famine, the district chairperson, Mr Robert Ekongot, said the situation was not getting any better. “What we need at this material point in time is more emergency food relief to save the population from hunger,” he said.
According to Mr Ekongot, the food insecurity in the region has largely been a result of external factors and not laziness as has been indicated by some leaders.
Although the government has responded by allocating Shs20 billion to buy relief food, it says it will need up to Shs170 billion to feed the most vulnerable people.
Mr Ekongot said the government should instead invest in long term solutions to address the situation including setting up irrigation schemes that will improve agricultural production even in times of drought.
The World Population Day was marked under the theme, “Empowering Communities to Overcome the Challenges of Poverty.’’ The acting Director of the Population Secretariat, Mr Charles Zirarema, said the celebrations were taken to Katakwi District to raise awareness about poverty that is rife in Teso region.
On Monday, Amuria District chairperson Julius Ochen told Daily Monitor that the situation was still grim as food aid that was delivered has not reached all sub-counties. As a result, he said, most families had resorted to eating wild leaves which are also posing a health threat.
“We visited Ajel village in Acowa Sub-county where we found some families had developed running stomachs after eating some wild leaves,” Mr Ochen said. He said children and women are particularly more vulnerable to the famine which has so far claimed 12 lives in the region since May.
According to Mr Ochen, the 200 bags of maize grain given to each sub-county is not enough to meet the food needs of the people. “This food aid can only last a few days before it gets finished. The government needs to come up with a way of increasing the food ration given to the residents,” he said.
N EWS: Hepatitis E deaths, infections increase
Hepatitis E deaths, infections increase
from MONITOR ONLINE
Two more people at the close of last week died of the Hepatitis E virus in Kitgum District, the weekly surveillance report has revealed. The development brings the cumulative number of deaths to 162 since the epidemic broke out in October 2007.
The District Surveillance Officer, Mr Obote M. Odwar told Daily Monitor yesterday that 47 people acquired Hepatitis E last week compared to 24 in the previous week.
“The total number of cases of Hepatitis E virus comes to 10,243 since the onset of the epidemic in October 2007 and of the established deaths, 72 per cent are females,” Mr Odwar said.
He added: “The most affected age group is that of between 20-24 years and of all the registered cases, 62 per cent are females.” Hardly a week ago, the government and the World Health Organisation launched a Shs10 billion programme to bring the epidemic to an end but this has not helped matters.
The WHO that has been supporting the district’s Hepatitis E taskforce, in its recent statements said there is a drastic decline in the infection rate in Kitgum, a report the authorities in the district dispute.
The report infact reveals that there was a 96 per cent increase of newly-registered cases during the week compared to 33 per cent in the previous week.
Sub-counties that registered the highest number of new cases are Lukung (8), Mucwini (6), Padibe West, Palabek Gem and Kitgum Matidi with 5 new cases each.
Mr John Odur, a resident of Kitgum Matidi, one of the sub-counties still prone to the disease, attributes the persistence of the epidemic to negligence.“The communities have turned a deaf ear to health messages and the leaders have also become relaxed in its fight,” Mr Odur observed.
Hepatitis E is an acute viral disease that can cause liver failure.The virus is transmitted to humans through consumption of drink or food contaminated with faecal matter. It can kill within a week if not controlled in time.
from MONITOR ONLINE
Two more people at the close of last week died of the Hepatitis E virus in Kitgum District, the weekly surveillance report has revealed. The development brings the cumulative number of deaths to 162 since the epidemic broke out in October 2007.
The District Surveillance Officer, Mr Obote M. Odwar told Daily Monitor yesterday that 47 people acquired Hepatitis E last week compared to 24 in the previous week.
“The total number of cases of Hepatitis E virus comes to 10,243 since the onset of the epidemic in October 2007 and of the established deaths, 72 per cent are females,” Mr Odwar said.
He added: “The most affected age group is that of between 20-24 years and of all the registered cases, 62 per cent are females.” Hardly a week ago, the government and the World Health Organisation launched a Shs10 billion programme to bring the epidemic to an end but this has not helped matters.
The WHO that has been supporting the district’s Hepatitis E taskforce, in its recent statements said there is a drastic decline in the infection rate in Kitgum, a report the authorities in the district dispute.
The report infact reveals that there was a 96 per cent increase of newly-registered cases during the week compared to 33 per cent in the previous week.
Sub-counties that registered the highest number of new cases are Lukung (8), Mucwini (6), Padibe West, Palabek Gem and Kitgum Matidi with 5 new cases each.
Mr John Odur, a resident of Kitgum Matidi, one of the sub-counties still prone to the disease, attributes the persistence of the epidemic to negligence.“The communities have turned a deaf ear to health messages and the leaders have also become relaxed in its fight,” Mr Odur observed.
Hepatitis E is an acute viral disease that can cause liver failure.The virus is transmitted to humans through consumption of drink or food contaminated with faecal matter. It can kill within a week if not controlled in time.
Friday, July 10, 2009
NEWS: Two million people at risk of starvation
Two million people at risk of starvation
Friday, 10th July, 2009 from NEW VISION
Friday, 10th July, 2009 from NEW VISION
OVER two million people in North, Eastern and West Nile are at risk of starvation, the Uganda Red Cross has announced. The agency yesterday stated that Kitgum, Katakwi, Bukedea, Kumi, Soroti, Amuria, Koboko, Adjumani, Nebbi, Arua and parts of Kibaale are the worst hit areas. Michael Nataka, the Uganda Red Cross secretary general, yesterday attributed the famine to prolonged draught, out of season planting, the ripple effect of the 2007 floods that ravaged Eastern Uganda and changes in weather patterns. The statement follows an evaluation tour of the affected areas. “In some areas where farmers planted early, the crops were thriving. But you find in the same village crops are withering in other gardens because people planted late,” Nataka stated. “The region has never recovered from the flooding, which affected the cycle of storing seeds. There is also lack of adequate information about the weather. People are relying on seasons that have since changed.” Children, elderly, sick and the children-headed households are the worst hit individuals, according to Nataka. Accordingly, the agency has launched an emergency appeal for sh5.6bn to feed 50,000 people. The Red Cross plans to raise 3030 metric tones of food to provide relief in the hunger-stricken areas. Well-wishers may deposit monies on Standard Chartered Bank account number 0108213406906 while others may contribute food in kind. The Red Cross, however, noted that the deaths recorded in the affected areas were not as a direct result of hunger. For example, in Adwari, Lira district six people who succumbed to HIV/AIDS and another four who died of old age had been attributed to hunger. The URCS chairman, Tom Buruku disclosed that should the local appeal not hit the target, they would turn to international organizations and donors. Describing the appeal as a “fire-fighting approach”, he demanded that the Parliament discusses the National Disaster policy that was formulated last year. “There is a need for a long-term plan to address these issues,” he observed, adding that an appeal for funds would be needed every year if nothing was done. URCS, he added, had provided its store in Ntinda, a city suburb where the donations in kind would be stored before dispatch. Deputy Secretary General, Dr. Bildard Baguma said that they would first focus on the worst his areas before rolling out to other areas.
Tuesday, July 7, 2009
RESOURCE: In depth and fascinating account of Uganda's 20 year "forgotten war"
FIRST KILL YOUR FAMILY
- Child Soldiers of Uganda and the Lord's Resistance Army
by Peter Eichstaedt
"Richard Opio has neither the look of a cold-blooded killer nor the heart of one. Yet as his mother and father lay on the ground with their hands tied, Richard used the blunt end of an ax to crush their skulls. He was ordered to do this by a unit commander of the Lord’s Resistance Army, a rebel group that has terrorized northern Uganda for twenty years. The memory racks Richard’s slender body as he wipes away tears.”
With these words, Peter Eichstaedt (a veteran journalist who has reported from locations worldwide, including Slovenia, Moldova, Afghanistan, Albania, Armenia, and Uganda, and a former senior editor for Uganda Radio Network) begins his fascinating and heart wrenching account of Uganda's "forgotten war". For more than twenty years, beginning in the mid-1980s, the Lord’s Resistance Army has ravaged northern Uganda. Tens of thousands have been slaughtered, and thousands more mutilated and traumatized. At least 1.5 million people have been driven from a pastoral existence into the squalor of refugee camps.
The leader of the rebel army is the rarely seen Joseph Kony, a former witchdoctor and self-professed spirit medium who continues to evade justice and wield power from somewhere near the Congo~Sudan border. Kony claims he not only can predict the future but also can control the minds of his fighters. And control them he does: the Lord’s Resistance Army consists of children who are abducted from their homes under cover of night. As initiation, the boys are forced to commit atrocities—murdering their parents, friends, and relatives—and the kidnapped girls are forced into lives of sexual slavery and labor.
In order to help us understand these altrocities Eichstaedt goes into the war-torn villages and refugee camps, talking to former child soldiers, child “brides,” and other victims. He examines the cultlike convictions of the army; how a pervasive belief in witchcraft, the spirit world, and the supernatural gave rise to this and other deadly movements; and what the global community can do to bring peace and justice to the region. This insightful analysis delves into the war’s foundations and argues that, much like Rwanda’s genocide, international intervention is needed to stop Africa’s virulent cycle of violence.
Eichstaedt has spent over two years in Uganda and neighboring Congo and Sundan, speaking to many soldiers and victims, including young boys forced to fight, young girl “brides” forced into prostitution, and refugees held in detention camps. He also talks with local politicians (including the rebel militia that cloaks itself in Christian rhetoric) and with UN leaders trying to forge peace. There are several memoirs told from the point of view of child soldiers, but Eichstaedt’s broader, less-personal study offers another perspective. His blend of interviews with observation and analysis of political history, including comparisons between Uganda and neighboring Rwanda, Sudan, and Congo, raises the elemental questions: Why didn’t the world know or care about what was happening? Why do people rebel and how does rebellion get out of hand? And is the call for forgiveness merely a way to prevent reprisals?
Overall, I found this book a remarkable history of the LRA and an insightful look into the sociopolitical climate that both gath rise to Joseph Kony and still keeps him active. A very important historical and heartbreaking account - crucial in understanding some of the significant challenges that still lay ahead for Uganda.
(adapted from liner notes, personal thoughts, and publisher reviews)
"Heartfelt . . . A close analysis of [an] underreported crisis." —Publishers Weekly
"In-depth reporting . . . an intimate spin." —Kirkus Reviews
"You must read this powerful book. Peter Eichstaedt has given voice to the victims of the largely unheard-of tragedy of Uganda. This story calls out to our very humanity." —Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu
"A book filled with haunting images that leave one groping for answers." —Mac Maharaj, South African author and activist
"This book is a call to action to help our brothers and sisters in Africa that we can no longer ignore." —John Dau, president, John Dau Sudan Foundation, and coauthor, God Grew Tired of Us: A Memoir
"This fine firsthand account should be read by anyone seeking to grapple with the challenges of war and peace in coming decades." —Douglas Farah, author, Merchant of Death and Blood from StonesProduct Description
Saturday, July 4, 2009
NEWS: Swine flu confirmed in Uganda
Swine flu confirmed in Uganda
- from MONITOR ONLINE
Uganda’s first case of the H1N1 swine flu virus was confirmed Wednesday night in a 40-year-old man from the UK, the Ministry of Health announced Thursday.
The man arrived in Uganda on June 26, 2009 from London via Nairobi to Entebbe on Kenya Airways. He passed through the health checkpoint at the airport with no symptoms and proceeded to Kampala to visit Ugandan friends. He did not stay in a hotel.
After contracting flu symptoms, he was admitted to Entebbe Hospital where Wednesday night he was confirmed to have Influenza A (H1N1) by the health laboratories in Entebbe.
The patient has been isolated in Entebbe and is reported to be in good condition. Officials were not able to give more information about the man or his activities while in Kampala.
“The task force is ready and we are going to make sure that whatever cases are reported to us we can handle,” Mr James Kakooza, the State Minister for Primary Health Care, said yesterday.
The Ministry of Health in collaboration with the WHO has been working to prepare Uganda for the outbreak.
According to Mr Paul Kagwa, the assistant commissioner for health education and promotion, the country has been preparing for the virus for the past six monthsPassengers arriving at the Entebbe International Airport must pass through a special health screening before they proceed through immigration. The screening is a self-report questionnaire asking passengers where they are coming from and whether they have any flu symptoms.
When the man who is being kept at Entebbe Grade B Hospital arrived on the June 26, he had no symptoms and easily passed through the screening. The borders are also supposed to be carefully monitored, however, although Mr Kagwa told the Daily Monitor on Tuesday that all border points were being instructed to be “extra vigilant,” the first case seems to have caught the people manning them unaware.
An Akamba bus driver, who refused to be named for fear of being fired, told Daily Monitor that no health screening is taking place at the border. “No one is screened there, they only stamp the passport,” he said soon after arriving in Kampala yesterday morning from Kenya via the Busia border. Several others recently arrived in the country confirmed his report.
In response to the border situation, Mr Kakooza said the situation will be “beefed up.” “We are going to send another team to borders,” he said at a news conference at the media centre yesterday.
Dr Sam Okware, the director general of the Uganda National Health Research Organisation, said monitoring the entry points is not the most effective way to prevent the disease. He said individuals and communities themselves need to report outbreaks of the sickness.
Besides heightening surveillance around the country and promoting public awareness on the flu, the Ministry of Health and WHO have established a multi-sectoral National Task Force in recent months to coordinate all technical efforts and create strategies for preparedness and response.
Medicines (Tami Flu) for treatment are available in the country, laboratories have been strengthened so that they can undertake screening and diagnosis, and isolation facilities have been set up in Entebbe and Mulago hospitals, Mr Kakooza said yesterday. “Since its one case we have had now, I don’t think it has saturated all over,” Mr Kakooza told journalists.
Dr Saweka, the country representative of the World Health Organisation, warned against unnecessary panic. “Usually WHO does not recommend people going on the street with a mask,” he told journalists, adding that only those who are in contact with an H1N1 case need wear masks.
The H1N1 virus, commonly referred to as “swine flu,” is actually a type A influenza strain made up of a genetic combination of the swine, avian, and human influenza viruses. It is passed from human to human and cannot be gotten by eating pork as some suppose, Dr Okware said yesterday. “People should be encouraged to eat swine so that they can get their nutrition,” he said, laughing.
Kenya confirmed their first case of the H1N1 virus earlier this week in a British student who had travelled from Nairobi to Kisumu. “It seems Kisumu might already have 11 cases,” Dr Saweka said yesterday at the press conference. He later added that they are still waiting for final confirmation on those cases.
Until now, there were 96 confirmed cases across Africa, with Uganda now contributing the 97th. So far, none of these cases have been terminal. The Ministry of Health has urged the public to be vigilant and report any suspected cases.
- from MONITOR ONLINE
Uganda’s first case of the H1N1 swine flu virus was confirmed Wednesday night in a 40-year-old man from the UK, the Ministry of Health announced Thursday.
The man arrived in Uganda on June 26, 2009 from London via Nairobi to Entebbe on Kenya Airways. He passed through the health checkpoint at the airport with no symptoms and proceeded to Kampala to visit Ugandan friends. He did not stay in a hotel.
After contracting flu symptoms, he was admitted to Entebbe Hospital where Wednesday night he was confirmed to have Influenza A (H1N1) by the health laboratories in Entebbe.
The patient has been isolated in Entebbe and is reported to be in good condition. Officials were not able to give more information about the man or his activities while in Kampala.
“The task force is ready and we are going to make sure that whatever cases are reported to us we can handle,” Mr James Kakooza, the State Minister for Primary Health Care, said yesterday.
The Ministry of Health in collaboration with the WHO has been working to prepare Uganda for the outbreak.
According to Mr Paul Kagwa, the assistant commissioner for health education and promotion, the country has been preparing for the virus for the past six monthsPassengers arriving at the Entebbe International Airport must pass through a special health screening before they proceed through immigration. The screening is a self-report questionnaire asking passengers where they are coming from and whether they have any flu symptoms.
When the man who is being kept at Entebbe Grade B Hospital arrived on the June 26, he had no symptoms and easily passed through the screening. The borders are also supposed to be carefully monitored, however, although Mr Kagwa told the Daily Monitor on Tuesday that all border points were being instructed to be “extra vigilant,” the first case seems to have caught the people manning them unaware.
An Akamba bus driver, who refused to be named for fear of being fired, told Daily Monitor that no health screening is taking place at the border. “No one is screened there, they only stamp the passport,” he said soon after arriving in Kampala yesterday morning from Kenya via the Busia border. Several others recently arrived in the country confirmed his report.
In response to the border situation, Mr Kakooza said the situation will be “beefed up.” “We are going to send another team to borders,” he said at a news conference at the media centre yesterday.
Dr Sam Okware, the director general of the Uganda National Health Research Organisation, said monitoring the entry points is not the most effective way to prevent the disease. He said individuals and communities themselves need to report outbreaks of the sickness.
Besides heightening surveillance around the country and promoting public awareness on the flu, the Ministry of Health and WHO have established a multi-sectoral National Task Force in recent months to coordinate all technical efforts and create strategies for preparedness and response.
Medicines (Tami Flu) for treatment are available in the country, laboratories have been strengthened so that they can undertake screening and diagnosis, and isolation facilities have been set up in Entebbe and Mulago hospitals, Mr Kakooza said yesterday. “Since its one case we have had now, I don’t think it has saturated all over,” Mr Kakooza told journalists.
Dr Saweka, the country representative of the World Health Organisation, warned against unnecessary panic. “Usually WHO does not recommend people going on the street with a mask,” he told journalists, adding that only those who are in contact with an H1N1 case need wear masks.
The H1N1 virus, commonly referred to as “swine flu,” is actually a type A influenza strain made up of a genetic combination of the swine, avian, and human influenza viruses. It is passed from human to human and cannot be gotten by eating pork as some suppose, Dr Okware said yesterday. “People should be encouraged to eat swine so that they can get their nutrition,” he said, laughing.
Kenya confirmed their first case of the H1N1 virus earlier this week in a British student who had travelled from Nairobi to Kisumu. “It seems Kisumu might already have 11 cases,” Dr Saweka said yesterday at the press conference. He later added that they are still waiting for final confirmation on those cases.
Until now, there were 96 confirmed cases across Africa, with Uganda now contributing the 97th. So far, none of these cases have been terminal. The Ministry of Health has urged the public to be vigilant and report any suspected cases.
NEWS: Govt names rebel collaborators
Govt names rebel collaborators
Friday, 3rd July, 2009 from NEW VISION
THE Army yesterday released the names of people accused of establishing a rebel group, the Uganda Patriotic Front (UPF). The group is led by renowned medical doctor, Henry Obonyo, who lives in the United States and has a second home in the United Kingdom, the army said. The list includes Charles Lakony, who the army said authored the rebel group’s concept document. He is however said to be using the pseudo name Don King and lives in San Diego, United States. He is a PhD holder of Political Science. Another prominent name on the list is Dr. Charles Akena who lives in Canada and is said to be a key financier of UPF. He is very rich with strong business chains in the USA and Canada. Also on the list is Joshua Abonga Otukene, who reportedly uses a pseudo name, Rembo, and lives in San Diego, USA. He also has homes in Nairobi’s Jahamuri estates. Otukene is a former US marine, who has been supporting the Lord’s Resistance Army but on many occasions disagreed with Kony over how the warlord was conducting the war. He is said to have at one time proposed to the late Vincent Otti that he should join them in Garamba Forest, eastern DR Congo but LRA leaders refused. Fred Okullo Otim, a former US pilot who lives in Las Vegas, Nevada in the US, but hails from Lacor village, Gulu district, is another key name on the list. He was one the people whom Kony dismissed from the Juba peace talks. Alex Okot Langwen, son of the late Lt. Gen. Bazilio Okello, a former army commander under Tito Okello’s military junta in 1985, was recently arrested. The army said he had been the main UPF man on the ground, in charge of organising and recruiting. He was arrested in Lacor, Gulu and remanded in Luzira Prison. The army alleges that Okot was the one coordinating the activities between Gulu-Kampala and Nairobi. He is said to have recruited Onek-Mon, a UPDF soldier who is also a former LRA commander. Onek Adyanga, based in Canada, is the key UPF man who is reported to have been in Uganda between March and June 2009, recruiting for the group in Gulu, Kitgum and Pader district. Also mentioned is Lapwony Okwon, who is based in the UK. He hails from Gulu and has been developing a network for recruiting members for UPF. Also named is Chairman of the Acholi Community in the US, Dr. Ocan Lapit Otim, who lives in California. He is said to be a strong member and financier of the UPF. Maj. Oboke Okello Latigo, also known as Tool Box, lives in Nairobi and is reportedly coordinating activities of UPF in Kenya. “He normally directs people to approach former LRA rebels who are within the UPDF or those in the community and he talks to them on phone to encourage them,” read an intelligence brief. Other names on the list were Sande Angoma Okello from Namukora sub-county in Kitgum district, currently a PhD student at Lust International Development Metropolitan University, Birmingham, London. He is said to have co-edited the rebel group’s concept document. The list, released by army spokesperson Maj. Felix Kulayigye, also includes Dr Acan Lapit Oxim, currently living in California, USA and Lapwony Ocon, who lives in the UK, but hails from Gulu. According to security documents, the new rebel group was formed in mid 2007. It was originally named the Uganda Patriotic Front (UPF) and later renamed Popular Patriotic Front (PPF). The founder members consist of former LRA rebel sponsors in the diaspora who disagreed with Joseph Kony’s participation in the Juba peace process and the subsequent killing of LRA deputy chief Otti Vincent by Kony. It is said this group was behind Kony’s refusal to sign the Juba peace agreement. Some soldiers of the UPDF are thought to be linked to the group. Sources intimated that the group had planned to use Bunyoro region as its operation area, particularly the Budongo Forest, as a base. The aim was to de-link it from the Acholi factor. The document reads: “Use Bunyoro region as an area for their operation and make use of Budongo Forests for training, Kibanda County for operation and recruitment of Alur and Acholi who stay in the area.” The first attack was to take place between December 2008 and January 2009, with the target being Gulu Prison. The aim of the attack was to release former LRA commander, Onen Kamdul Ajibo and Odongkara, who are said to have knowledge of where the LRA weapons are buried. The plan to attack Gulu Prison however failed when security sources got whim of the plan, in which they had tried to involve the Gulu Prison Wader, Francis Akena. Akena said he feared for his life and job. Its second target was to be the Police posts in Kafu, Budongo and various out posts within Masindi district. They aimed at getting arms for initial operations as they awaited their supplies. The group’s operation in Masindi is said to be coordinated by a secondary school teacher in the district who is also alleged to be recruiting people in the area. A security brief shows that the group came to light in February 2009, when security operatives detected deceptive information from officials from the International Organisation of Migration (IOM), claiming LRA deputy leader Okot Odhiambo wanted to surrender with over 200 fighters. Satellite phone tracking with the help of international security services indicated that the signals were from Kampala, not eastern DR Congo or South Sudan. Investigative intelligence led to the arrest of Patrick Komakech in March 2009. Komakech confessed that he was impersonating LRA rebel commanders Ceaser Accallam, Bwone Lubwa and Okot Odhiambo and conning foreign diplomats, government officials and other prominent personalities. Komakech in the process of interrogation is said to have confessed to being a member of the new rebel group, the People’s Patriotic Front (PPF) that is planning to overthrow the Government. He mentioned several names of other people who were subsequently arrested from Gulu, Amuru, Pader and Masindi district by the Chieftaincy of Military Intelligence (CMI). Its objectives show that the group was to recruit already trained military personnel, former rebels or UPDF deserters as well as serving soldiers that subscribe to their ideas. Its members were instructed not to abduct young children, rob civilians or commit any atrocities. They were supposed to use money sent from abroad for luring people and buying things from people. On June 16, the Buganda Road Magistrate Court charged 12 suspected commanders and recruitment officers of PPF with treason.
Friday, 3rd July, 2009 from NEW VISION
THE Army yesterday released the names of people accused of establishing a rebel group, the Uganda Patriotic Front (UPF). The group is led by renowned medical doctor, Henry Obonyo, who lives in the United States and has a second home in the United Kingdom, the army said. The list includes Charles Lakony, who the army said authored the rebel group’s concept document. He is however said to be using the pseudo name Don King and lives in San Diego, United States. He is a PhD holder of Political Science. Another prominent name on the list is Dr. Charles Akena who lives in Canada and is said to be a key financier of UPF. He is very rich with strong business chains in the USA and Canada. Also on the list is Joshua Abonga Otukene, who reportedly uses a pseudo name, Rembo, and lives in San Diego, USA. He also has homes in Nairobi’s Jahamuri estates. Otukene is a former US marine, who has been supporting the Lord’s Resistance Army but on many occasions disagreed with Kony over how the warlord was conducting the war. He is said to have at one time proposed to the late Vincent Otti that he should join them in Garamba Forest, eastern DR Congo but LRA leaders refused. Fred Okullo Otim, a former US pilot who lives in Las Vegas, Nevada in the US, but hails from Lacor village, Gulu district, is another key name on the list. He was one the people whom Kony dismissed from the Juba peace talks. Alex Okot Langwen, son of the late Lt. Gen. Bazilio Okello, a former army commander under Tito Okello’s military junta in 1985, was recently arrested. The army said he had been the main UPF man on the ground, in charge of organising and recruiting. He was arrested in Lacor, Gulu and remanded in Luzira Prison. The army alleges that Okot was the one coordinating the activities between Gulu-Kampala and Nairobi. He is said to have recruited Onek-Mon, a UPDF soldier who is also a former LRA commander. Onek Adyanga, based in Canada, is the key UPF man who is reported to have been in Uganda between March and June 2009, recruiting for the group in Gulu, Kitgum and Pader district. Also mentioned is Lapwony Okwon, who is based in the UK. He hails from Gulu and has been developing a network for recruiting members for UPF. Also named is Chairman of the Acholi Community in the US, Dr. Ocan Lapit Otim, who lives in California. He is said to be a strong member and financier of the UPF. Maj. Oboke Okello Latigo, also known as Tool Box, lives in Nairobi and is reportedly coordinating activities of UPF in Kenya. “He normally directs people to approach former LRA rebels who are within the UPDF or those in the community and he talks to them on phone to encourage them,” read an intelligence brief. Other names on the list were Sande Angoma Okello from Namukora sub-county in Kitgum district, currently a PhD student at Lust International Development Metropolitan University, Birmingham, London. He is said to have co-edited the rebel group’s concept document. The list, released by army spokesperson Maj. Felix Kulayigye, also includes Dr Acan Lapit Oxim, currently living in California, USA and Lapwony Ocon, who lives in the UK, but hails from Gulu. According to security documents, the new rebel group was formed in mid 2007. It was originally named the Uganda Patriotic Front (UPF) and later renamed Popular Patriotic Front (PPF). The founder members consist of former LRA rebel sponsors in the diaspora who disagreed with Joseph Kony’s participation in the Juba peace process and the subsequent killing of LRA deputy chief Otti Vincent by Kony. It is said this group was behind Kony’s refusal to sign the Juba peace agreement. Some soldiers of the UPDF are thought to be linked to the group. Sources intimated that the group had planned to use Bunyoro region as its operation area, particularly the Budongo Forest, as a base. The aim was to de-link it from the Acholi factor. The document reads: “Use Bunyoro region as an area for their operation and make use of Budongo Forests for training, Kibanda County for operation and recruitment of Alur and Acholi who stay in the area.” The first attack was to take place between December 2008 and January 2009, with the target being Gulu Prison. The aim of the attack was to release former LRA commander, Onen Kamdul Ajibo and Odongkara, who are said to have knowledge of where the LRA weapons are buried. The plan to attack Gulu Prison however failed when security sources got whim of the plan, in which they had tried to involve the Gulu Prison Wader, Francis Akena. Akena said he feared for his life and job. Its second target was to be the Police posts in Kafu, Budongo and various out posts within Masindi district. They aimed at getting arms for initial operations as they awaited their supplies. The group’s operation in Masindi is said to be coordinated by a secondary school teacher in the district who is also alleged to be recruiting people in the area. A security brief shows that the group came to light in February 2009, when security operatives detected deceptive information from officials from the International Organisation of Migration (IOM), claiming LRA deputy leader Okot Odhiambo wanted to surrender with over 200 fighters. Satellite phone tracking with the help of international security services indicated that the signals were from Kampala, not eastern DR Congo or South Sudan. Investigative intelligence led to the arrest of Patrick Komakech in March 2009. Komakech confessed that he was impersonating LRA rebel commanders Ceaser Accallam, Bwone Lubwa and Okot Odhiambo and conning foreign diplomats, government officials and other prominent personalities. Komakech in the process of interrogation is said to have confessed to being a member of the new rebel group, the People’s Patriotic Front (PPF) that is planning to overthrow the Government. He mentioned several names of other people who were subsequently arrested from Gulu, Amuru, Pader and Masindi district by the Chieftaincy of Military Intelligence (CMI). Its objectives show that the group was to recruit already trained military personnel, former rebels or UPDF deserters as well as serving soldiers that subscribe to their ideas. Its members were instructed not to abduct young children, rob civilians or commit any atrocities. They were supposed to use money sent from abroad for luring people and buying things from people. On June 16, the Buganda Road Magistrate Court charged 12 suspected commanders and recruitment officers of PPF with treason. Monday, June 29, 2009
NEWS: Jinja Hospital pathetic - MP Balikowa
Jinja Hospital pathetic - MP Balikowa
Monday, 29th June, 2009 from NEW VISION
JINJA Hospital is in a pathetic state, Parliament has heard. Budiope MP Henry Balikowa told Parliament presided over by the deputy Speaker, Rebecca Kadaga, on Thursday that the hospital also lacked basic medicines like panadol and septrin. Balikowa said his attention was drawn to the pitiable situation at the hospital, which serves the entire Busoga region as a referral facility, when a relative was admitted last week. “What I found at the hospital was pathetic. What perturbed me most is that medical workers do not have gloves,” Balikowa noted. He demanded an explanation from the Government. However, Kadaga did not ask any government official to give an explanation. Health minister Dr. Stephen Mallinga in an interview with The New Vision, explained that all hospitals are well supplied with drugs from the National Medical Stores. He blamed the shortages on corrupt hospital staff. “MPs should probe the situation of drugs in hospitals in their constituencies,” the minister said over the phone. An inventory of drugs sent to Jinja Hospital from the National Medical Stores under the Credit Line Programme shows that anti-malarials, pain killers, de-wormers and sterilizers were supplied. Others are sundries, condoms, contraceptives, syrups, ointments and other medical equipment. “The drugs are there unless the Primary Health Care funds have been diverted or the drugs we supplied were stolen,” Hamis Kaheru, the National Medical Stores spokesperson, said. Most patients talked to over the weekend, on condition of anonymity, expressed disgust at the appalling conditions. They said the workers ask them to buy glooves and drip water. Dr. Benon Wanume, the medical superintendent, refuted the drug shortage allegations, adding that not every patient required to be handled with gloves.
Monday, 29th June, 2009 from NEW VISION
JINJA Hospital is in a pathetic state, Parliament has heard. Budiope MP Henry Balikowa told Parliament presided over by the deputy Speaker, Rebecca Kadaga, on Thursday that the hospital also lacked basic medicines like panadol and septrin. Balikowa said his attention was drawn to the pitiable situation at the hospital, which serves the entire Busoga region as a referral facility, when a relative was admitted last week. “What I found at the hospital was pathetic. What perturbed me most is that medical workers do not have gloves,” Balikowa noted. He demanded an explanation from the Government. However, Kadaga did not ask any government official to give an explanation. Health minister Dr. Stephen Mallinga in an interview with The New Vision, explained that all hospitals are well supplied with drugs from the National Medical Stores. He blamed the shortages on corrupt hospital staff. “MPs should probe the situation of drugs in hospitals in their constituencies,” the minister said over the phone. An inventory of drugs sent to Jinja Hospital from the National Medical Stores under the Credit Line Programme shows that anti-malarials, pain killers, de-wormers and sterilizers were supplied. Others are sundries, condoms, contraceptives, syrups, ointments and other medical equipment. “The drugs are there unless the Primary Health Care funds have been diverted or the drugs we supplied were stolen,” Hamis Kaheru, the National Medical Stores spokesperson, said. Most patients talked to over the weekend, on condition of anonymity, expressed disgust at the appalling conditions. They said the workers ask them to buy glooves and drip water. Dr. Benon Wanume, the medical superintendent, refuted the drug shortage allegations, adding that not every patient required to be handled with gloves.
NEWS: AIDS body wants testing for all
AIDS body wants testing for all
Sunday, 28th June, 2009 from NEW VISION
THE AIDS Information Centre has launched a sh100b plan to ensure quality counselling and testing for HIV/AIDS is available to all in the next five years. “Our wish is that everyone in Uganda undergoes HIV testing. We want a situation where everyone knows his or her status for us to be able to fight the disease,” the chairperson, MP Chris Baryomunsi, said on Friday. At the moment, only 21% of Ugandan adults, or 2.5 million, know their HIV status. About one million people in Uganda are infected with the disease, according to statistics by the AIDS Information Centre, while 1.2 million children have been orphaned by AIDS. In what is considered the third phase of the epidemic in Uganda, prevalence rates have stabilised at between 6% and 7%, up from 5% a few years ago. Launching the plan at Imperial Royale Hotel, Kampala, the Minister of Local Government, Adolf Mwesige, expressed concern over the increase in new infections among married couples. A study conducted earlier this year by Makerere University on behalf of the Uganda AIDS Commission and UNAIDS said about 650,000 Ugandans are unknowingly living with an HIV-positive partner and almost 85,000 will contract the virus this year if nothing is done to increase awareness. Mwesige called upon Ugandans to embrace voluntary counselling and testing, and appealed to the donors to support the plan, which will be financed by the Government and development partners. He also appealed to the organisation to make sure funds provided by foreign tax-payers reach the beneficiaries, adding that the misappropriation of the Global Fund money was still fresh in the minds of people. Formed in 1990, the AIDS Information Centre was the first centre to provide the public with voluntary and anonymous HIV counselling and testing. The organisation, based in Mengo-Kisenyi, Kampala, has eight branches in 41 districts. The history of AIDS in Uganda is generally divided into three phases. The first stage saw the rapid spread of HIV through urban sexual networks and along major highways from its origin in the Lake Victoria region. Doctors in this area had become aware of a surge in cases of severe wasting known locally as ‘slim disease’. In 1982, the first AIDS case in Uganda was diagnosed and the link between ‘slim’ and AIDS was clinically recognised. It was not until 1986, when the Ugandan civil war ended and President Yoweri Museveni came to power, that the country had a major HIV prevention programme. By this time, the country was in the midst of a major epidemic, with prevalence rates of up to 29% in urban areas. The programme promoted the ABC approach: abstain, be faithful and use condoms, and ensured the safety of the blood supply. Strong political leadership and commitment to tackling the rampaging epidemic, as well as prevention work at grass-root level, were key elements in the early response to AIDS. The second phase of the epidemic ran from 1992 to 2000. During this period, HIV prevalence fell dramatically, from a peak in 1991 of around 15% among adults, and over 30% among pregnant women in the cities, to around 5% in 2001. It is believed that the Government’s ABC prevention campaign was partly responsible for the decline. However, as treatment was not widely available, the high numbers of AIDS-related deaths also contributed to the reduction in the number of people living with HIV. The third phase has seen the stabilisation of prevalence during 2000-2005, and reports of a slight increase in prevalence from 2006. It is thought that the availability of free antiretroviral drugs may have led to complacency as AIDS is no longer an immediate death sentence. Many experts have also speculated that Uganda’s shift in prevention policy away from ABC towards US-backed ‘abstinence-only’ programmes may also be responsible for the increase.
Sunday, 28th June, 2009 from NEW VISION
THE AIDS Information Centre has launched a sh100b plan to ensure quality counselling and testing for HIV/AIDS is available to all in the next five years. “Our wish is that everyone in Uganda undergoes HIV testing. We want a situation where everyone knows his or her status for us to be able to fight the disease,” the chairperson, MP Chris Baryomunsi, said on Friday. At the moment, only 21% of Ugandan adults, or 2.5 million, know their HIV status. About one million people in Uganda are infected with the disease, according to statistics by the AIDS Information Centre, while 1.2 million children have been orphaned by AIDS. In what is considered the third phase of the epidemic in Uganda, prevalence rates have stabilised at between 6% and 7%, up from 5% a few years ago. Launching the plan at Imperial Royale Hotel, Kampala, the Minister of Local Government, Adolf Mwesige, expressed concern over the increase in new infections among married couples. A study conducted earlier this year by Makerere University on behalf of the Uganda AIDS Commission and UNAIDS said about 650,000 Ugandans are unknowingly living with an HIV-positive partner and almost 85,000 will contract the virus this year if nothing is done to increase awareness. Mwesige called upon Ugandans to embrace voluntary counselling and testing, and appealed to the donors to support the plan, which will be financed by the Government and development partners. He also appealed to the organisation to make sure funds provided by foreign tax-payers reach the beneficiaries, adding that the misappropriation of the Global Fund money was still fresh in the minds of people. Formed in 1990, the AIDS Information Centre was the first centre to provide the public with voluntary and anonymous HIV counselling and testing. The organisation, based in Mengo-Kisenyi, Kampala, has eight branches in 41 districts. The history of AIDS in Uganda is generally divided into three phases. The first stage saw the rapid spread of HIV through urban sexual networks and along major highways from its origin in the Lake Victoria region. Doctors in this area had become aware of a surge in cases of severe wasting known locally as ‘slim disease’. In 1982, the first AIDS case in Uganda was diagnosed and the link between ‘slim’ and AIDS was clinically recognised. It was not until 1986, when the Ugandan civil war ended and President Yoweri Museveni came to power, that the country had a major HIV prevention programme. By this time, the country was in the midst of a major epidemic, with prevalence rates of up to 29% in urban areas. The programme promoted the ABC approach: abstain, be faithful and use condoms, and ensured the safety of the blood supply. Strong political leadership and commitment to tackling the rampaging epidemic, as well as prevention work at grass-root level, were key elements in the early response to AIDS. The second phase of the epidemic ran from 1992 to 2000. During this period, HIV prevalence fell dramatically, from a peak in 1991 of around 15% among adults, and over 30% among pregnant women in the cities, to around 5% in 2001. It is believed that the Government’s ABC prevention campaign was partly responsible for the decline. However, as treatment was not widely available, the high numbers of AIDS-related deaths also contributed to the reduction in the number of people living with HIV. The third phase has seen the stabilisation of prevalence during 2000-2005, and reports of a slight increase in prevalence from 2006. It is thought that the availability of free antiretroviral drugs may have led to complacency as AIDS is no longer an immediate death sentence. Many experts have also speculated that Uganda’s shift in prevention policy away from ABC towards US-backed ‘abstinence-only’ programmes may also be responsible for the increase.
Sunday, June 21, 2009
NEWS: Children ask for more HIV funding
Children ask for more HIV funding
Friday, 19th June, 2009 from NEW VISION
CHILDREN n in northern Uganda have petitioned Government to increase funding for children living with HIV/AIDS and those born by mothers under the Prevention of Mother to Child Transmission of AIDS programme. They said many children and mothers had died because of lack of access to HIV/AIDS services in the villages. “The Government should ensure full integration of PMTCT services in the reproductive health system,” the children’s representative, Winfred Olanyo-Jok, said. The children presented a memorandum to the secretary for community services and children’s affairs, Santa Oketta, during the celebrations to mark the Day of the African Child at the Kaunda grounds in Gulu district. Gulu chairman Norbert Mao, in a speech read by Oketta, promised to ensure a safe and protective environment for children. During the celebrations, about 800 children and young adults were tested for HIV in a drive by Save the Children in Uganda, a non-governmental organisation.
Friday, 19th June, 2009 from NEW VISION
CHILDREN n in northern Uganda have petitioned Government to increase funding for children living with HIV/AIDS and those born by mothers under the Prevention of Mother to Child Transmission of AIDS programme. They said many children and mothers had died because of lack of access to HIV/AIDS services in the villages. “The Government should ensure full integration of PMTCT services in the reproductive health system,” the children’s representative, Winfred Olanyo-Jok, said. The children presented a memorandum to the secretary for community services and children’s affairs, Santa Oketta, during the celebrations to mark the Day of the African Child at the Kaunda grounds in Gulu district. Gulu chairman Norbert Mao, in a speech read by Oketta, promised to ensure a safe and protective environment for children. During the celebrations, about 800 children and young adults were tested for HIV in a drive by Save the Children in Uganda, a non-governmental organisation.
Thursday, June 18, 2009
NEWS: HIV/AIDS- Stigma increases school dropout rate in Gulu
HIV/AIDS- Stigma increases school dropout rate in Gulu
Sunday, 14th June, 2009 from NEW VISION 
Children living with HIV/AIDS receive gifts at the Health Alert-Uganda centre in Gulu during a therapy programme
STIGMATISATION is still a setback in the fight against AIDS, leading to an increase in the school dropout rate of children living with HIV/AIDS. Students say they have been compelled to either drop out of school, leave boarding for day schools or change schools because they are being stigmatised by fellow students. One girl who preferred only to be named as Joan in Senior Three, says she wants to transfer to another school because students at her current school point fingers and gossip about her. This is causing her a lot of psychological trauma. “Sometimes I fear coming to school because of what other students might say about me,” she said. Walter Komakec, the project officer of Health Alert-Uganda, said the project is looking after 1,833 children, 759 girls and 624 boys. Health Alert-Uganda is a non-governmental organisation supporting children living with and those affected by HIV/AIDS in Gulu. Komakec said the number of children living with HIV/AIDS has increased ever since the project started its operations in 2004. He said the organisation had intensified community-based approaches, working with locals at the sub-county, parish and village levels. Peer educators and volunteers move to the villages where they meet families and encourage them to carry out voluntary blood testing, he said. “However, stigmatisation still remains a big challenge. The only way to fight this is through massive sensitisation of the communities to create awareness so that more and more people can go for voluntary counselling and testing,” said Komakec. Joan said with the comments her colleagues at school make, she finds it difficult to concentrate in class. She applauds AVSI, an Italian organisation, for paying her tuition, and the Health Alert-Uganda for offering free counselling, health education, food relief and parental guidance. Joan said her relatives told her that her mother died 17 years ago when she was still a baby. She said her father, who is still alive, neglected her. She lives with her grandmother in Gulu town. The grandmother does not work and has no constant source of income. She says she wants to study hard and become a doctor so that she can treat people living HIV. She says getting ARVs and drugs for treating opportunistic infections is a problem. “My father does not give me any support. I appeal to the Government and non-governmental organisations like Windle Trust and Invisible Children to support me and other children living with HIV/AIDS so we do not feel abandoned.” Another girl, Brenda, 18 in Senior Four, was born with HIV. She said she is an orphan, having lost her parents when she was only one year old. “I moved from Sacred Heart SSS, a boarding school in Gulu, because of stigma from fellow students who after learning of my dilemma, mocked me and uttered awful words as I took my drugs. I am now in a day school. I feel more comfortable because I take my drugs from home,” says Brenda. She wants to be either a nurse or an agricultural engineer. “My mother was a nurse. That is why I also want to become a nurse. I want to help people living with AIDS, especially in the Acholi sub-region. I ask the Government to look at all the children, especially those in northern Uganda, who are living with HIV/AIDS as useful citizens,” she says. Francis, 18, in Senior Six at Koch Goma SSS in Amuru district, says the support being given by Health Alert-Uganda gives him the will to live and instills hope in him. “It makes me think I still have a better future despite living with HIV/AIDS.” He wants to be an accountant or a lawyer. He boasts of practising total abstinence and not searching for a sexual partner yet. He says this will help him live positively and minimise the risk of infecting other people. “I fear that with the meagre resources my father gets from his peasant farming, I might not achieve my dreams. ”His father cannot afford to pay her school fees of sh100,000 a term. “I am being offered free education at Koch Goma SSS. The school is willing to take me on until Senior Six. Who will sponsor me at the university?” Francis wonders. The Health Alert-Uganda programme officer, Jennifer Opoka, says the challenges the organisation faces in fighting HIV include: low male involvement, stigma, discrimination and limited community involvement in caring for children living with AIDS. She says Save the Children Denmark, through Save the Children Uganda, provides funding to the projects. She adds: “The projects aim at promoting positive living with improved care to children living with AIDS. Others are to prepare the children for disclosure, strengthen capacity of Health Alert in Uganda and to map out locations of all the children to enable facilitation.” Health Alert is a six-year-old organisation in Gulu Municipality that is supporting 1,833 children living with or affected by HIV/AIDS.
Sunday, 14th June, 2009 from NEW VISION
Children living with HIV/AIDS receive gifts at the Health Alert-Uganda centre in Gulu during a therapy programmeSTIGMATISATION is still a setback in the fight against AIDS, leading to an increase in the school dropout rate of children living with HIV/AIDS. Students say they have been compelled to either drop out of school, leave boarding for day schools or change schools because they are being stigmatised by fellow students. One girl who preferred only to be named as Joan in Senior Three, says she wants to transfer to another school because students at her current school point fingers and gossip about her. This is causing her a lot of psychological trauma. “Sometimes I fear coming to school because of what other students might say about me,” she said. Walter Komakec, the project officer of Health Alert-Uganda, said the project is looking after 1,833 children, 759 girls and 624 boys. Health Alert-Uganda is a non-governmental organisation supporting children living with and those affected by HIV/AIDS in Gulu. Komakec said the number of children living with HIV/AIDS has increased ever since the project started its operations in 2004. He said the organisation had intensified community-based approaches, working with locals at the sub-county, parish and village levels. Peer educators and volunteers move to the villages where they meet families and encourage them to carry out voluntary blood testing, he said. “However, stigmatisation still remains a big challenge. The only way to fight this is through massive sensitisation of the communities to create awareness so that more and more people can go for voluntary counselling and testing,” said Komakec. Joan said with the comments her colleagues at school make, she finds it difficult to concentrate in class. She applauds AVSI, an Italian organisation, for paying her tuition, and the Health Alert-Uganda for offering free counselling, health education, food relief and parental guidance. Joan said her relatives told her that her mother died 17 years ago when she was still a baby. She said her father, who is still alive, neglected her. She lives with her grandmother in Gulu town. The grandmother does not work and has no constant source of income. She says she wants to study hard and become a doctor so that she can treat people living HIV. She says getting ARVs and drugs for treating opportunistic infections is a problem. “My father does not give me any support. I appeal to the Government and non-governmental organisations like Windle Trust and Invisible Children to support me and other children living with HIV/AIDS so we do not feel abandoned.” Another girl, Brenda, 18 in Senior Four, was born with HIV. She said she is an orphan, having lost her parents when she was only one year old. “I moved from Sacred Heart SSS, a boarding school in Gulu, because of stigma from fellow students who after learning of my dilemma, mocked me and uttered awful words as I took my drugs. I am now in a day school. I feel more comfortable because I take my drugs from home,” says Brenda. She wants to be either a nurse or an agricultural engineer. “My mother was a nurse. That is why I also want to become a nurse. I want to help people living with AIDS, especially in the Acholi sub-region. I ask the Government to look at all the children, especially those in northern Uganda, who are living with HIV/AIDS as useful citizens,” she says. Francis, 18, in Senior Six at Koch Goma SSS in Amuru district, says the support being given by Health Alert-Uganda gives him the will to live and instills hope in him. “It makes me think I still have a better future despite living with HIV/AIDS.” He wants to be an accountant or a lawyer. He boasts of practising total abstinence and not searching for a sexual partner yet. He says this will help him live positively and minimise the risk of infecting other people. “I fear that with the meagre resources my father gets from his peasant farming, I might not achieve my dreams. ”His father cannot afford to pay her school fees of sh100,000 a term. “I am being offered free education at Koch Goma SSS. The school is willing to take me on until Senior Six. Who will sponsor me at the university?” Francis wonders. The Health Alert-Uganda programme officer, Jennifer Opoka, says the challenges the organisation faces in fighting HIV include: low male involvement, stigma, discrimination and limited community involvement in caring for children living with AIDS. She says Save the Children Denmark, through Save the Children Uganda, provides funding to the projects. She adds: “The projects aim at promoting positive living with improved care to children living with AIDS. Others are to prepare the children for disclosure, strengthen capacity of Health Alert in Uganda and to map out locations of all the children to enable facilitation.” Health Alert is a six-year-old organisation in Gulu Municipality that is supporting 1,833 children living with or affected by HIV/AIDS.
NEWS: A crunch on HIV/Aids budgets in sub-saharan Africa
A crunch on HIV/Aids budgets in sub-saharan Africa
Thursday, June 18, 2009 from MONITOR ONLINE
International donors and African governments are likely to cut health budgets due to the global financial crisis according to a recent Inter Press Service (IPS) report. Health experts fear that increasing unemployment and poverty will lead to less food security and quality of nutrition, which will in turn put more stress on already weak health systems.The IPS report indicates that Tanzania was the first sub-Saharan country to announce a 25 per cent cut of its annual HIV/Aids budget. It goes on to reveal, “The South African government has indicated that large private firms, especially mining companies, are likely to cut their HIV prevention programmes affecting thousands of employees and their families. Even worse, Botswana’s presidential spokesperson, Jeff Ramsay, recently announced that the government will not be able to include new patients in its free antiretroviral (ARV) treatment programme from 2016 onwards because it does not have sufficient funds to expand the programme.Researchers estimate the negative impact of this crisis will affect 70 per cent of people on ARV treatment in Africa within the next twelve months.”IPS further reported, “Even international donor organisations have started feeling the financial crunch. The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria recently announced it is at least $4 billion short of the money needed to continue funding essential HIV, TB and malaria services in 2010. The coalition believes there is a $10.7 billion funding gap for regional implementation of the Global Plan to Stop TB alone.”Nowhere however did the rather lengthy report particularly refer to Uganda as one of the countries likely to cut its spending on HIV/Aids support. Dr. Penninah Itung Director of Uganda Cares, one of the leading Aids support organisations in Uganda, said they are still assured of further funding from American AIDS Health Care. “We are not aware of such a thing as a cut in our promised funding,” she said when contacted. “We do expect continued funding.”A number of AIDS and tuberculosis activists from across Sub-Saharan Africa – including ARASA, the South African Treatment Action Campaign (TAC) and the Kenyan Collaborative Fund for HIV Treatment Preparedness – have now come together to lobby for continued health financing.
Thursday, June 18, 2009 from MONITOR ONLINE
International donors and African governments are likely to cut health budgets due to the global financial crisis according to a recent Inter Press Service (IPS) report. Health experts fear that increasing unemployment and poverty will lead to less food security and quality of nutrition, which will in turn put more stress on already weak health systems.The IPS report indicates that Tanzania was the first sub-Saharan country to announce a 25 per cent cut of its annual HIV/Aids budget. It goes on to reveal, “The South African government has indicated that large private firms, especially mining companies, are likely to cut their HIV prevention programmes affecting thousands of employees and their families. Even worse, Botswana’s presidential spokesperson, Jeff Ramsay, recently announced that the government will not be able to include new patients in its free antiretroviral (ARV) treatment programme from 2016 onwards because it does not have sufficient funds to expand the programme.Researchers estimate the negative impact of this crisis will affect 70 per cent of people on ARV treatment in Africa within the next twelve months.”IPS further reported, “Even international donor organisations have started feeling the financial crunch. The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria recently announced it is at least $4 billion short of the money needed to continue funding essential HIV, TB and malaria services in 2010. The coalition believes there is a $10.7 billion funding gap for regional implementation of the Global Plan to Stop TB alone.”Nowhere however did the rather lengthy report particularly refer to Uganda as one of the countries likely to cut its spending on HIV/Aids support. Dr. Penninah Itung Director of Uganda Cares, one of the leading Aids support organisations in Uganda, said they are still assured of further funding from American AIDS Health Care. “We are not aware of such a thing as a cut in our promised funding,” she said when contacted. “We do expect continued funding.”A number of AIDS and tuberculosis activists from across Sub-Saharan Africa – including ARASA, the South African Treatment Action Campaign (TAC) and the Kenyan Collaborative Fund for HIV Treatment Preparedness – have now come together to lobby for continued health financing.
Saturday, June 13, 2009
NEWS: Immunisation campaign extended
Immunisation campaign extended
Friday, 12th June, 2009 from NEW VISION
THE ministry of Health will carry out another round of polio and measles immunisation today in areas that were hit by vaccine shortage during the just-ended three-day national immunisation campaign. Last weekend several parts of the country reported a shortage of vaccines. This left several parents and guardians who had taken their children for immunisation stranded. “We have asked our supervisors countrywide to document sub-counties where some children missed being immunised because of a shortage of the vaccines so that we can deliver them. We shall have a mop-up exercise on Saturday,” said Dr. Possy Mugyenyi, the head of the immunisation programme in the health ministry. He said the shortages were mainly in parts of western, central and eastern Uganda. In Lira, Mugyenyi explained, there was apparent shortage where some sub counties had shortages while others were overstocked. This was sorted out through internal redistribution. Mpigi and Nakasongola districts postponed their immunisation campaign from June 12 to June 15. “At the end of the exercise, we shall give all the remaining vaccines to the health centres to enable them immunise any child who could have missed,” Mugyenyi said. “Parents should also continue with routine immunisation of their children instead of relying on national immunisation days or campaigns.” The health ministry, Mugyenyi said, procured 5.8 million doses for the measles vaccine and 8.7 million for polio.
Friday, 12th June, 2009 from NEW VISION
THE ministry of Health will carry out another round of polio and measles immunisation today in areas that were hit by vaccine shortage during the just-ended three-day national immunisation campaign. Last weekend several parts of the country reported a shortage of vaccines. This left several parents and guardians who had taken their children for immunisation stranded. “We have asked our supervisors countrywide to document sub-counties where some children missed being immunised because of a shortage of the vaccines so that we can deliver them. We shall have a mop-up exercise on Saturday,” said Dr. Possy Mugyenyi, the head of the immunisation programme in the health ministry. He said the shortages were mainly in parts of western, central and eastern Uganda. In Lira, Mugyenyi explained, there was apparent shortage where some sub counties had shortages while others were overstocked. This was sorted out through internal redistribution. Mpigi and Nakasongola districts postponed their immunisation campaign from June 12 to June 15. “At the end of the exercise, we shall give all the remaining vaccines to the health centres to enable them immunise any child who could have missed,” Mugyenyi said. “Parents should also continue with routine immunisation of their children instead of relying on national immunisation days or campaigns.” The health ministry, Mugyenyi said, procured 5.8 million doses for the measles vaccine and 8.7 million for polio.
Tuesday, June 9, 2009
NEWS: Vaccine shortage spoils immunisation exercise
Vaccine shortage spoils immunisation exercise
Monday, 8th June, 2009 from NEW VISION
A nurse immunising a child at Nansana health centre as others wait in the queue on Saturday
SHORTAGES and late delivery of vaccines marred the three-day national polio and measles campaign countrywide as the turn-out was higher than expected. This left many parents and children stranded at the immunisation centres. In Kampala district, a number of immunisation centres, such as Ntinda, reported they had run out of stocks, especially of measles vaccines. Officials at Kiswa health centre in Bugolobi, which was the distribution centre for the area, confirmed the shortage in Ntinda, which had been restocked by yesterday morning. At Kiyumba immunisation centre in Makindye Division, the vaccines had run out by Sunday noon. The parents and guardians waited in vain for their children to be immunised. When The New Vision visited the centre yesterday afternoon it was closed. In some areas of Lira district, children who turned up on Sunday also went home without being served because the stocks were depleted. Health officials in Aromo and Amugo sub-counties have extended the exercise, which was supposed to end yesterday, up to today. “The fridges had technical problems, which forced the distributors to return the vaccines to the main store in Lira. The distribution for the two sub-counties is now done from Lira,” said Dr. Peter Kusolo, the Lira district health officer, adding that technicians were repairing the fridges. Dr. Possy Mugyenyi, the head of the immunisation programme, attributed the shortage of vaccines to the overwhelming numbers. “In Kampala, we advised the health workers in areas which had shortages to pick some from those which had excess vaccines,” he said. Trucks were sent out at night to replenish districts that had reported stock-outs, he added. The health ministry had planned to immunise children between 0 and five years (for polio) and between nine months and four years (for measles). It aimed at immunising 4.7 million children against measles and 6.2 million against polio. But some parents turned up with children beyond the age brackets. This interfered with the ministry’s arrangements. The exact number of children who were immunised will be out later this week. Meanwhile, in Mubende district, officials rushed to Bukuya sub-county on Sunday, following reports that a group of people was moving from house to house, telling residents not to take their children for immunisation arguing that it would harm them. “We found out that these were the local leaders. Instead of arresting them, we ordered them to mobilise the people to take their children and they obliged,” said Stephen Nsubuga Bewaayo, the resident district commissioner. He said the highest number of culprits was in Makokoto parish, bordering Mubende and Mityana districts. “In this parish, the most affected villages were Kanoga, Kuzimu and Kyabakadde. The parents were stubbornly resisting, having heard from critics that the vaccines would harm their children,” Bewaayo said.
Monday, 8th June, 2009 from NEW VISION
A nurse immunising a child at Nansana health centre as others wait in the queue on SaturdaySHORTAGES and late delivery of vaccines marred the three-day national polio and measles campaign countrywide as the turn-out was higher than expected. This left many parents and children stranded at the immunisation centres. In Kampala district, a number of immunisation centres, such as Ntinda, reported they had run out of stocks, especially of measles vaccines. Officials at Kiswa health centre in Bugolobi, which was the distribution centre for the area, confirmed the shortage in Ntinda, which had been restocked by yesterday morning. At Kiyumba immunisation centre in Makindye Division, the vaccines had run out by Sunday noon. The parents and guardians waited in vain for their children to be immunised. When The New Vision visited the centre yesterday afternoon it was closed. In some areas of Lira district, children who turned up on Sunday also went home without being served because the stocks were depleted. Health officials in Aromo and Amugo sub-counties have extended the exercise, which was supposed to end yesterday, up to today. “The fridges had technical problems, which forced the distributors to return the vaccines to the main store in Lira. The distribution for the two sub-counties is now done from Lira,” said Dr. Peter Kusolo, the Lira district health officer, adding that technicians were repairing the fridges. Dr. Possy Mugyenyi, the head of the immunisation programme, attributed the shortage of vaccines to the overwhelming numbers. “In Kampala, we advised the health workers in areas which had shortages to pick some from those which had excess vaccines,” he said. Trucks were sent out at night to replenish districts that had reported stock-outs, he added. The health ministry had planned to immunise children between 0 and five years (for polio) and between nine months and four years (for measles). It aimed at immunising 4.7 million children against measles and 6.2 million against polio. But some parents turned up with children beyond the age brackets. This interfered with the ministry’s arrangements. The exact number of children who were immunised will be out later this week. Meanwhile, in Mubende district, officials rushed to Bukuya sub-county on Sunday, following reports that a group of people was moving from house to house, telling residents not to take their children for immunisation arguing that it would harm them. “We found out that these were the local leaders. Instead of arresting them, we ordered them to mobilise the people to take their children and they obliged,” said Stephen Nsubuga Bewaayo, the resident district commissioner. He said the highest number of culprits was in Makokoto parish, bordering Mubende and Mityana districts. “In this parish, the most affected villages were Kanoga, Kuzimu and Kyabakadde. The parents were stubbornly resisting, having heard from critics that the vaccines would harm their children,” Bewaayo said.
Sunday, June 7, 2009
NEWS: Thousands rush for polio, measles immunisation
Thousands rush for polio, measles immunisation
Sunday, 7th June, 2009 from NEW VISION
Mothers lining up as they wait to have their children immunised at Wakiso health centre on Saturday
THOUSANDS of parents countrywide over the weekend jammed immunisation centres rushed their children for immunisation against polio and measles. “The turn-up on day one was overwhelming. Districts with a high turn-up include Bukedea, Mbale, Sironko, Kaliro, Kampala and Wakiso. Some have even asked for more vaccines,” said Dr. Possy Mugyenyi, the head of the immunisation programme in the health ministry. He explained that due to poor distribution, there was a shortage of vaccines in some areas on the first day. “The measles vaccine was a crowd puller. Although the vaccine was to be administered to children between nine months and four years, some above this age were immunised and this is not bad,” Mugyenyi said. “We had given an equal amount of vaccines to all sub-counties. After the high turn-up in some areas, we had to redistribute.” Mugyenyi appealed to heads of nursery schools to ensure that pupils are immunised in the exercise that ends today. In Kampala, health officers had difficulty in transporting the vaccines, resulted into the late delivery in some centres. The district plans to have 310,000 children vaccinated. “On Thursday and Friday, we carried out immunisation in the schools. We are continuing with the exercise today,” said Joseph Senzoga, the in-charge of disease surveillance and response. Most of the immunisation centres in Wakiso district visited on Saturday registered more than half of the anticipated numbers. The district is targeting 240,000 children. The local leaders warned residents against shunning the exercise. The district director for health services, Emmanuel Mukasa, said: “In 2003, we designed a district ordinance on immunisation. Any visitor or resident found disrupting immunisation exercises faces the law. They can be imprisoned up to six years or pay a fine of sh1m.” He added that in 2008, about 8,000 children in Wakiso were not immunised. Touring the immunisation centres in Wakiso on Saturday, the World Health Organisation country representative, Joaquim Saweka, said: “Polio and measles do not respect borders. With these efforts, we are confident Wakiso will be one of the districts with a high immunisation turn-up. ” In Kasese district, some areas like Karusandara sub-county that registered a slow response in March had overwhelming numbers in the ongoing immunisation. Immunisation kicked off on Saturday with a low turn-up, but the trend changed in the afternoon. “We expect good results. The high turn up is because politicians joined the immunisation campaign,” said Dr. Peter Mukobi, the Kasese health officer. Several parents from the DR Congo crossed into Uganda to have their children immunised in Kasese and Kanungu districts. “We have received about 30 Congolese on day one, but hope to get many of them before we conclude the programme,” Josephine Kasya, the district chairperson, said. The Uganda Red Cross coordinator for Rukungiri and Kanungu districts, Benjamin Cadet, said some Congolese had walked for over 50km to immunise their children. The relief agency deployed 200 volunteers in all the 508 immunisation posts in Kanungu district to assist the health workers. The Uganda Red Cross is supporting the Government in mobilising the public and transporting the vaccines in 15 districts for measles and 11 districts for polio. In Mityana, the Buganda Kingdom’s Ssingo county chief, Mukwenda Stanley Kijjambu, warned detractors against misleading the public about the immunisation. Kijjambu on Friday accused some people of politicising the exercise. The district health officer, Dr. Fred Lwasampijja, said the turn-up on Saturday was good. “We expect to have at least 90% of the children immunised.” Reported by Anthony Bugembe, John Nzinjah, Caleb Bahikaho and Luke Kagiri
Sunday, 7th June, 2009 from NEW VISION
Mothers lining up as they wait to have their children immunised at Wakiso health centre on Saturday
THOUSANDS of parents countrywide over the weekend jammed immunisation centres rushed their children for immunisation against polio and measles. “The turn-up on day one was overwhelming. Districts with a high turn-up include Bukedea, Mbale, Sironko, Kaliro, Kampala and Wakiso. Some have even asked for more vaccines,” said Dr. Possy Mugyenyi, the head of the immunisation programme in the health ministry. He explained that due to poor distribution, there was a shortage of vaccines in some areas on the first day. “The measles vaccine was a crowd puller. Although the vaccine was to be administered to children between nine months and four years, some above this age were immunised and this is not bad,” Mugyenyi said. “We had given an equal amount of vaccines to all sub-counties. After the high turn-up in some areas, we had to redistribute.” Mugyenyi appealed to heads of nursery schools to ensure that pupils are immunised in the exercise that ends today. In Kampala, health officers had difficulty in transporting the vaccines, resulted into the late delivery in some centres. The district plans to have 310,000 children vaccinated. “On Thursday and Friday, we carried out immunisation in the schools. We are continuing with the exercise today,” said Joseph Senzoga, the in-charge of disease surveillance and response. Most of the immunisation centres in Wakiso district visited on Saturday registered more than half of the anticipated numbers. The district is targeting 240,000 children. The local leaders warned residents against shunning the exercise. The district director for health services, Emmanuel Mukasa, said: “In 2003, we designed a district ordinance on immunisation. Any visitor or resident found disrupting immunisation exercises faces the law. They can be imprisoned up to six years or pay a fine of sh1m.” He added that in 2008, about 8,000 children in Wakiso were not immunised. Touring the immunisation centres in Wakiso on Saturday, the World Health Organisation country representative, Joaquim Saweka, said: “Polio and measles do not respect borders. With these efforts, we are confident Wakiso will be one of the districts with a high immunisation turn-up. ” In Kasese district, some areas like Karusandara sub-county that registered a slow response in March had overwhelming numbers in the ongoing immunisation. Immunisation kicked off on Saturday with a low turn-up, but the trend changed in the afternoon. “We expect good results. The high turn up is because politicians joined the immunisation campaign,” said Dr. Peter Mukobi, the Kasese health officer. Several parents from the DR Congo crossed into Uganda to have their children immunised in Kasese and Kanungu districts. “We have received about 30 Congolese on day one, but hope to get many of them before we conclude the programme,” Josephine Kasya, the district chairperson, said. The Uganda Red Cross coordinator for Rukungiri and Kanungu districts, Benjamin Cadet, said some Congolese had walked for over 50km to immunise their children. The relief agency deployed 200 volunteers in all the 508 immunisation posts in Kanungu district to assist the health workers. The Uganda Red Cross is supporting the Government in mobilising the public and transporting the vaccines in 15 districts for measles and 11 districts for polio. In Mityana, the Buganda Kingdom’s Ssingo county chief, Mukwenda Stanley Kijjambu, warned detractors against misleading the public about the immunisation. Kijjambu on Friday accused some people of politicising the exercise. The district health officer, Dr. Fred Lwasampijja, said the turn-up on Saturday was good. “We expect to have at least 90% of the children immunised.” Reported by Anthony Bugembe, John Nzinjah, Caleb Bahikaho and Luke Kagiri
Saturday, June 6, 2009
NEWS: New study faults Uganda government on HIV resource allocation
New study faults Uganda government on HIV resource allocation
Saturday, June 6, 2009 from MONITOR ONLINE
After over 15 years and billions of shillings spent on promoting ABC, Uganda has been named as one of the countries which is committing little resources on national HIV prevention campaigns, writes Peter NyanziUganda is one of the countries where scarce resources are being spent on national HIV/Aids prevention campaigns that do not reach the people most at risk of infection, a new research has shown. The report, which was released at the end of May, decries a lack of an evidence-based approach to HIV/Aids, adding that there is a mismatch between resources and infection rates because prevention policies and programmes are not aligned and targeted to the populations in most need.The study, titled, “The Analysis of Prevention Response and Modes of Transmission," was carried out between 2007 and 2008 by Unaids and the World Bank in partnership with the Uganda Aids Commission; to find out how and where most HIV/Aids infections were occurring and whether existing prevention efforts and expenditure matched these findings. “The synthesis shows a mismatch between the epidemiology, policies and programmes and the resource allocation,” the report reads in part. “Despite the evidence of the risk factors and drivers of the epidemic, there are no policies targeting most at risk populations (MARPs), circumcision and the contextual factors.” Over the past 15 years, HIV/Aids prevention campaigns have been based on the assumption that young, single people who engaged in casual sex were most at risk of infection. Over the years, Uganda has spent billions promoting the ABC model (Abstain, Be faithful to one sexual partner and Condom use) but the study found that 43 per cent of infections still occurred among those who had multiple sex partners besides their regular partners. The report recommends “a re-alignment of prevention efforts to where the new infections are occurring and to the populations most in need,” adding that the focus of HIV/Aids spending should be on prevention campaigns aimed at married people or those in long-term relationships. It says only 31 per cent of the $249 million resource envelope used to fight HIV/Aids went to prevention strategies while the bulk of the funding (53 per cent) went towards care and treatment. About 1.5 million Ugandans are said to be HIV/Aids positive. Programme management and mitigation each took 8 per cent.Ms Debrework Zewdie, the director of the World Bank's Global HIV/Aids Unit, noted that the current global economic downturn made it more important than ever to get the most impact out of investments in HIV/Aids prevention. According to the report, the previously heralded decline in prevalence from a peak of 18 per cent in 1992 to 6.1 in 2002 ended and that there is a stabilisation of prevalence between 6.1 and 6.5 per cent in some antenatal testing sites and even a rise in others.This is accompanied by “a deterioration in behavioral indicators” especially an increase in multiple concurrent partnerships. There has also been a shift in the epidemic from single casual relationships to long term stable relationships. It says 43 per cent of new HIV/Aids infections were among monogamous relationships while 46 per cent are among persons reporting multiple partnerships. Commercial sex workers, their clients and partners of clients contribute 10 per cent of new infections. The report also confirms that there has been a shift in concentration of the epidemic from younger to older individuals with the highest prevalence for men (9.9 per cent) being among 35-39 year olds, while for women (12 per cent) it is among 30-34 year olds. Furthermore, the high burden of herpes simplex virus (HSV-2) of 44 per cent has fueled the epidemic.The report recommends the establishment of clearer policies, standards and guidelines to improve HIV counseling and testing services, information, education and communication (IEC), male circumcision and behaviour change interventions for married and long-term sexual partners, people living with HIV and at-risk groups. The research was also carried out in Kenya, Lesotho, Mozambique and Lesotho where it was also revealed that most new infections were occurring because people were continuing to have more than one partner at a time, both before and during marriage.
Saturday, June 6, 2009 from MONITOR ONLINE
After over 15 years and billions of shillings spent on promoting ABC, Uganda has been named as one of the countries which is committing little resources on national HIV prevention campaigns, writes Peter NyanziUganda is one of the countries where scarce resources are being spent on national HIV/Aids prevention campaigns that do not reach the people most at risk of infection, a new research has shown. The report, which was released at the end of May, decries a lack of an evidence-based approach to HIV/Aids, adding that there is a mismatch between resources and infection rates because prevention policies and programmes are not aligned and targeted to the populations in most need.The study, titled, “The Analysis of Prevention Response and Modes of Transmission," was carried out between 2007 and 2008 by Unaids and the World Bank in partnership with the Uganda Aids Commission; to find out how and where most HIV/Aids infections were occurring and whether existing prevention efforts and expenditure matched these findings. “The synthesis shows a mismatch between the epidemiology, policies and programmes and the resource allocation,” the report reads in part. “Despite the evidence of the risk factors and drivers of the epidemic, there are no policies targeting most at risk populations (MARPs), circumcision and the contextual factors.” Over the past 15 years, HIV/Aids prevention campaigns have been based on the assumption that young, single people who engaged in casual sex were most at risk of infection. Over the years, Uganda has spent billions promoting the ABC model (Abstain, Be faithful to one sexual partner and Condom use) but the study found that 43 per cent of infections still occurred among those who had multiple sex partners besides their regular partners. The report recommends “a re-alignment of prevention efforts to where the new infections are occurring and to the populations most in need,” adding that the focus of HIV/Aids spending should be on prevention campaigns aimed at married people or those in long-term relationships. It says only 31 per cent of the $249 million resource envelope used to fight HIV/Aids went to prevention strategies while the bulk of the funding (53 per cent) went towards care and treatment. About 1.5 million Ugandans are said to be HIV/Aids positive. Programme management and mitigation each took 8 per cent.Ms Debrework Zewdie, the director of the World Bank's Global HIV/Aids Unit, noted that the current global economic downturn made it more important than ever to get the most impact out of investments in HIV/Aids prevention. According to the report, the previously heralded decline in prevalence from a peak of 18 per cent in 1992 to 6.1 in 2002 ended and that there is a stabilisation of prevalence between 6.1 and 6.5 per cent in some antenatal testing sites and even a rise in others.This is accompanied by “a deterioration in behavioral indicators” especially an increase in multiple concurrent partnerships. There has also been a shift in the epidemic from single casual relationships to long term stable relationships. It says 43 per cent of new HIV/Aids infections were among monogamous relationships while 46 per cent are among persons reporting multiple partnerships. Commercial sex workers, their clients and partners of clients contribute 10 per cent of new infections. The report also confirms that there has been a shift in concentration of the epidemic from younger to older individuals with the highest prevalence for men (9.9 per cent) being among 35-39 year olds, while for women (12 per cent) it is among 30-34 year olds. Furthermore, the high burden of herpes simplex virus (HSV-2) of 44 per cent has fueled the epidemic.The report recommends the establishment of clearer policies, standards and guidelines to improve HIV counseling and testing services, information, education and communication (IEC), male circumcision and behaviour change interventions for married and long-term sexual partners, people living with HIV and at-risk groups. The research was also carried out in Kenya, Lesotho, Mozambique and Lesotho where it was also revealed that most new infections were occurring because people were continuing to have more than one partner at a time, both before and during marriage.
Friday, June 5, 2009
NEWS: Uganda 3rd most corrupt — report
Uganda 3rd most corrupt — report
Thursday, 4th June, 2009 from NEW VISION
UGANDA is ranked among the countries most affected by petty bribe, according to the 2009 Global Corruption Barometer of Transparency International, an international watchdog. A total of 55% of Ugandan respondents said they or anyone living in their household paid a bribe in the past 12 months. Uganda scores the third-highest among 69 countries in Asia, America, the Middle East, Europe and Africa sampled. It shares the third place with Cameroon. Liberia tops the list, with 87% of respondents saying they paid a bribe in the past year, followed by Sierra Leone (62%). The judiciary is perceived as the most corrupt by Ugandans, with 36% identifying it as the single most corrupt institution in the country, closely followed by public officials and civil servants (34%). The media and the private sector are perceived the least corrupt, with 1% and 4% respectively marking it as topping the list of corrupt institutions. Ordinary people, in Africa and the rest of the world, do not feel empowered to speak out about corruption, the survey found. “Three quarters of all the people who reported paying bribes do not file a formal complaint,” says the just released report. “About half of bribery victims interviewed did not see existing complaint mechanisms as efficient.” In Uganda, less than half – or 48% - considered the Government’s actions in the fight against corruption as effective. However, corruption matters to Ugandans. More than 64% reported that they would be willing to pay more to buy from a ‘corruption-free’ company, among the highest in the world. “The message to the private sector from consumers is clear: being clean pays off,” says the report. “Not only does clean business create a level playing field while supporting long-term growth and productivity, it attracts customers.” Worldwide, bribery has gone up, particularly in the Police and the judiciary, Transparency International concludes. People who reported paying a bribe to court officials went up from 8% to 14% in the last 3 years. In addition, 15% of all respondents who contacted land authorities in the 12 months prior to the survey reported paying a bribe. “This figure confirms that corruption in the land management sector is a widespread problem that has been increasingly recognised as a government challenge,” the report notes.
Thursday, 4th June, 2009 from NEW VISION
UGANDA is ranked among the countries most affected by petty bribe, according to the 2009 Global Corruption Barometer of Transparency International, an international watchdog. A total of 55% of Ugandan respondents said they or anyone living in their household paid a bribe in the past 12 months. Uganda scores the third-highest among 69 countries in Asia, America, the Middle East, Europe and Africa sampled. It shares the third place with Cameroon. Liberia tops the list, with 87% of respondents saying they paid a bribe in the past year, followed by Sierra Leone (62%). The judiciary is perceived as the most corrupt by Ugandans, with 36% identifying it as the single most corrupt institution in the country, closely followed by public officials and civil servants (34%). The media and the private sector are perceived the least corrupt, with 1% and 4% respectively marking it as topping the list of corrupt institutions. Ordinary people, in Africa and the rest of the world, do not feel empowered to speak out about corruption, the survey found. “Three quarters of all the people who reported paying bribes do not file a formal complaint,” says the just released report. “About half of bribery victims interviewed did not see existing complaint mechanisms as efficient.” In Uganda, less than half – or 48% - considered the Government’s actions in the fight against corruption as effective. However, corruption matters to Ugandans. More than 64% reported that they would be willing to pay more to buy from a ‘corruption-free’ company, among the highest in the world. “The message to the private sector from consumers is clear: being clean pays off,” says the report. “Not only does clean business create a level playing field while supporting long-term growth and productivity, it attracts customers.” Worldwide, bribery has gone up, particularly in the Police and the judiciary, Transparency International concludes. People who reported paying a bribe to court officials went up from 8% to 14% in the last 3 years. In addition, 15% of all respondents who contacted land authorities in the 12 months prior to the survey reported paying a bribe. “This figure confirms that corruption in the land management sector is a widespread problem that has been increasingly recognised as a government challenge,” the report notes.
Wednesday, June 3, 2009
NEWS: Uganda 17th most peaceful in Africa
Uganda 17th most peaceful in Africa
Tuesday, 2nd June, 2009 from NEW VISION
UGANDA’s state of ‘peacefulness’ is still low, according to a report released by the Institute for Economics and Peace yesterday. The Global Peace Index (GPI) report released at the Centre for Strategic and International Studies in Washington, shows that out of the 144 countries surveyed, Uganda ranked at position 103. In the league of Africa countries, Uganda ranks 17th out of 31 countries sampled. The most peaceful countries in Africa are Botswana, Malawi, Gabon, Ghana and Mozambique. Tanzania leads the pack in East Africa being the 59th overall globally and seventh in the region. Post-genocide Rwanda, too, beats Uganda in the ranking, emerging 86th overall and 13th on the continent. Kenya wallows on the 113th position internationally and lies in the 19th in Africa. New Zealand ranked as the world’s most peaceful country, followed by Denmark and Norway. Rounding out the top five were Iceland in the the fourth place and Austria in the fifth position. Overall, the GPI revealed that small, stable and democratic countries ranked highest of the top 20 countries are in western and central Europe. Iraq was again the world’s least peaceful country in 2008, remaining in 144th position. Afghanistan, Somalia, Israel and Sudan were the next least peaceful, ranking 143rd to 140th respectively. Bosnia and Herzegovina was the biggest riser, up 23 places to 50th position this year, while Madagascar saw the biggest fall in ranking (30 places) amid mounting political instability and violent demonstrations. The Index defines peace as “the absence of violence,” and looks at 23 qualitative and quantitative indicators of external and internal measures of peacefulness. Internally, these include homicides, the percentage of the population in jail, the availability of guns, and the level of organised crime. External indicators include the size of the military, exports and imports of arms, battlefield deaths, UN peacekeeping contributions and relations with neighbouring states. Uganda in the recent past had a spate of brutal murders and rape, aggravated robbery, human sacrifice, violent demonstrations and conmen fleecing people. Thousands of people are in detention. The country is still grappling with the disarmament programme in the Karamoja region while its porous borders allow for illegal guns from Sudan, Somalia and Kenya to enter. The guns are mainly used for cattle rustling. The Police investigations have in the past also incriminated some security operatives as accomplices in armed robberies. However, internal affairs minister Kirunda Kivejinja declined to comment on the report arguing he could not respond to an examination he did not set. “I am in charge and I know you are operating in a secure place. I would be concerned if they said you are operating in an insecure environment,” Kivejinja said in a telephone interview. “Peace can be measured and valued in economic terms,” Clyde McConaghy, president of the GPI, said. “There is a correlation between the economic crisis and the decline in peace. This confirms that there is a real-world economic value for peace,” McConaghy said.
Tuesday, 2nd June, 2009 from NEW VISION
UGANDA’s state of ‘peacefulness’ is still low, according to a report released by the Institute for Economics and Peace yesterday. The Global Peace Index (GPI) report released at the Centre for Strategic and International Studies in Washington, shows that out of the 144 countries surveyed, Uganda ranked at position 103. In the league of Africa countries, Uganda ranks 17th out of 31 countries sampled. The most peaceful countries in Africa are Botswana, Malawi, Gabon, Ghana and Mozambique. Tanzania leads the pack in East Africa being the 59th overall globally and seventh in the region. Post-genocide Rwanda, too, beats Uganda in the ranking, emerging 86th overall and 13th on the continent. Kenya wallows on the 113th position internationally and lies in the 19th in Africa. New Zealand ranked as the world’s most peaceful country, followed by Denmark and Norway. Rounding out the top five were Iceland in the the fourth place and Austria in the fifth position. Overall, the GPI revealed that small, stable and democratic countries ranked highest of the top 20 countries are in western and central Europe. Iraq was again the world’s least peaceful country in 2008, remaining in 144th position. Afghanistan, Somalia, Israel and Sudan were the next least peaceful, ranking 143rd to 140th respectively. Bosnia and Herzegovina was the biggest riser, up 23 places to 50th position this year, while Madagascar saw the biggest fall in ranking (30 places) amid mounting political instability and violent demonstrations. The Index defines peace as “the absence of violence,” and looks at 23 qualitative and quantitative indicators of external and internal measures of peacefulness. Internally, these include homicides, the percentage of the population in jail, the availability of guns, and the level of organised crime. External indicators include the size of the military, exports and imports of arms, battlefield deaths, UN peacekeeping contributions and relations with neighbouring states. Uganda in the recent past had a spate of brutal murders and rape, aggravated robbery, human sacrifice, violent demonstrations and conmen fleecing people. Thousands of people are in detention. The country is still grappling with the disarmament programme in the Karamoja region while its porous borders allow for illegal guns from Sudan, Somalia and Kenya to enter. The guns are mainly used for cattle rustling. The Police investigations have in the past also incriminated some security operatives as accomplices in armed robberies. However, internal affairs minister Kirunda Kivejinja declined to comment on the report arguing he could not respond to an examination he did not set. “I am in charge and I know you are operating in a secure place. I would be concerned if they said you are operating in an insecure environment,” Kivejinja said in a telephone interview. “Peace can be measured and valued in economic terms,” Clyde McConaghy, president of the GPI, said. “There is a correlation between the economic crisis and the decline in peace. This confirms that there is a real-world economic value for peace,” McConaghy said.
Monday, June 1, 2009
NEWS: Christians hold joint prayers to end child sacrifice
Christians hold joint prayers to end child sacrifice
June 2, 2009 from MONITOR ONLINE
MasakaChristians in Masaka District have held joint prayers to end child sacrifice, ritual murder, sodomy and lesbianism. The prayers, which were sponsored by World Vision, a Christian charity organisation, took place at Kijjabwemi Church of Uganda in Masaka Municipality on Sunday. Reverend Canon Nkambo Mugerwa of Kijjabwemi Archdeaconry led the prayers which were also attended by Monsignor Joseph Kato Ssempungu, the Vicar General of Masaka Diocese, Reverend Male Ssekabi of the Seventh Day Adventist Church in Masaka, and several pastors of Pentecostal churches. The function attracted hundreds of Christians from the neighbouring districts of Lyantonde, Rakai, Ssembabule, and Kalangala.World Vision Regional Programme Manager Joel Kisubi said for many years, his organisation has been holding the Global Day of Prayer and that just as the Christians were praying at Kijjabwemi, similar prayers were being conducted in 217 countries across the world under the theme: “Repentance and Prayer”. “We are an NGO that focuses on children and their well-being,” Mr Kisubi said. “But we must supplement our physical efforts with prayers because God has the greatest power to protect the children.”Monsignor Kato later told Daily Monitor in a private interview that he could not blame the Police alone for failing to arrest those involved in child sacrifice. “All of us including Police are fighting the same evil practice,” he said.
June 2, 2009 from MONITOR ONLINE
MasakaChristians in Masaka District have held joint prayers to end child sacrifice, ritual murder, sodomy and lesbianism. The prayers, which were sponsored by World Vision, a Christian charity organisation, took place at Kijjabwemi Church of Uganda in Masaka Municipality on Sunday. Reverend Canon Nkambo Mugerwa of Kijjabwemi Archdeaconry led the prayers which were also attended by Monsignor Joseph Kato Ssempungu, the Vicar General of Masaka Diocese, Reverend Male Ssekabi of the Seventh Day Adventist Church in Masaka, and several pastors of Pentecostal churches. The function attracted hundreds of Christians from the neighbouring districts of Lyantonde, Rakai, Ssembabule, and Kalangala.World Vision Regional Programme Manager Joel Kisubi said for many years, his organisation has been holding the Global Day of Prayer and that just as the Christians were praying at Kijjabwemi, similar prayers were being conducted in 217 countries across the world under the theme: “Repentance and Prayer”. “We are an NGO that focuses on children and their well-being,” Mr Kisubi said. “But we must supplement our physical efforts with prayers because God has the greatest power to protect the children.”Monsignor Kato later told Daily Monitor in a private interview that he could not blame the Police alone for failing to arrest those involved in child sacrifice. “All of us including Police are fighting the same evil practice,” he said.
NEWS: Six million kids to get polio vaccine
Six million kids to get polio vaccine
Monday, 1st June, 2009 from NEW VISION
THE Government plans to immunise six million children against polio and measles, the health ministry has said. The immunisation manager, Dr. Possy Mugyenyi, said children under the age of five would be immunised from Saturday to Monday. “We have targeted to cover 95% of the country. This would be a good step in fighting polio and measles.” Mugyenyi was addressing journalists at Hotel Africana in Kampala yesterday. He said the sh11b exercise is funded by Unicef, the World Health Organisation (WHO), the Red Cross and the Government. A WHO official, William Mbabazi, said 10 paralytic polio cases had been recently confirmed in Uganda. He explained that eight cases were detected in Amuru and two in Moyo and Pader districts. Mbabazi expressed concern over the fact that 2,000 polio cases were confirmed countrywide. The assistant commissioner in-charge of health, Paul Kagwa, said they had scaled up the mobilisation to encourage the public to support the campaign. He added that political, religious and cultural leaders would be sensitised about the exercise. Kagwa warned that parents who sabotage the campaign would be prosecuted. He explained that polio had been imported from the DR Congo and Southern Sudan as a result of cross-border movements. Uganda had been declared free of polio since 1996 and was certified in October 2006.
Monday, 1st June, 2009 from NEW VISION
THE Government plans to immunise six million children against polio and measles, the health ministry has said. The immunisation manager, Dr. Possy Mugyenyi, said children under the age of five would be immunised from Saturday to Monday. “We have targeted to cover 95% of the country. This would be a good step in fighting polio and measles.” Mugyenyi was addressing journalists at Hotel Africana in Kampala yesterday. He said the sh11b exercise is funded by Unicef, the World Health Organisation (WHO), the Red Cross and the Government. A WHO official, William Mbabazi, said 10 paralytic polio cases had been recently confirmed in Uganda. He explained that eight cases were detected in Amuru and two in Moyo and Pader districts. Mbabazi expressed concern over the fact that 2,000 polio cases were confirmed countrywide. The assistant commissioner in-charge of health, Paul Kagwa, said they had scaled up the mobilisation to encourage the public to support the campaign. He added that political, religious and cultural leaders would be sensitised about the exercise. Kagwa warned that parents who sabotage the campaign would be prosecuted. He explained that polio had been imported from the DR Congo and Southern Sudan as a result of cross-border movements. Uganda had been declared free of polio since 1996 and was certified in October 2006.
Sunday, May 31, 2009
NEWS: Female headed homes on the increase
Female headed homes on the increase
Sunday, 31st May, 2009 from NEW VISION
THE number of female-headed households has increased to 30%, up from 27% in 2007, a survey by the National Bureau of Statistics has indicated. The majority of female headed households are in the central region at 35%, with the bulk of them in Kampala. Western region follows at 28% and Eastern region at 26%. The study also said northern Uganda was leading the rest of the country in polygamy. The survey on gender and productivity, commissioned by the Prime Minister’s office, indicated that even in male-headed households, men were abdicating their duties. It revealed that when the men realise that their wives are making some money, they divert theirs to mistresses or other things that are not shared by the family. The objective of the survey was to assess progress made towards gender equality in various development areas. The study, carried out between November 2007 and February 2008, covered 4,291 households. It used questionnaires on assets ownership, health, roles in decision making and domestic violence. The results were released last week at the Imperial Royale Hotel in Kampala to district leaders. Less than 10 MPs attended. The report said unequal gender relations were increasing poverty. “Women’s economic opportunities are constrained by low social status, lack of ownership of productive resources, a heavy workload and limited participation in decision making at household and community level,” the report said. It also said women faced constraints when operating within their home or venturing into private enterprise. It pointed at recent World Bank assessments, noting that female enterprises were twice more likely to get interference from the local government. The report further said domestic violence was widespread, which it attributed to the long history of bias against women. It said about 61% of married women had experienced physical violence within their homes, while 31% experienced violence in the last 12 months. Domestic violence is seen as one of the key stumbling blocks to the control of HIV/AIDS in Uganda, the study said. It said because of the persistent low social status, women had no control over their reproductive health. This, the report added, impacted on their economic productivity. “The high fertility rates are due to the fact that many women cannot decide when or how many children to have,” it said. The report also pointed out that many girls were dropping out of school, despite the universal primary and secondary education programme. It said parents were pulling their daughters out of school to marry them off or to force them into domestic work. Some drop out because they are defiled and impregnated by teachers, while others stop studying because their parents cannot afford the little money needed. Even in the Universal Primary Education schools, parents have to pay up to sh18,000, according to the report. The participants called for the creation of a Girl-child Trust to stop girls from dropping out of school.
Sunday, 31st May, 2009 from NEW VISION
THE number of female-headed households has increased to 30%, up from 27% in 2007, a survey by the National Bureau of Statistics has indicated. The majority of female headed households are in the central region at 35%, with the bulk of them in Kampala. Western region follows at 28% and Eastern region at 26%. The study also said northern Uganda was leading the rest of the country in polygamy. The survey on gender and productivity, commissioned by the Prime Minister’s office, indicated that even in male-headed households, men were abdicating their duties. It revealed that when the men realise that their wives are making some money, they divert theirs to mistresses or other things that are not shared by the family. The objective of the survey was to assess progress made towards gender equality in various development areas. The study, carried out between November 2007 and February 2008, covered 4,291 households. It used questionnaires on assets ownership, health, roles in decision making and domestic violence. The results were released last week at the Imperial Royale Hotel in Kampala to district leaders. Less than 10 MPs attended. The report said unequal gender relations were increasing poverty. “Women’s economic opportunities are constrained by low social status, lack of ownership of productive resources, a heavy workload and limited participation in decision making at household and community level,” the report said. It also said women faced constraints when operating within their home or venturing into private enterprise. It pointed at recent World Bank assessments, noting that female enterprises were twice more likely to get interference from the local government. The report further said domestic violence was widespread, which it attributed to the long history of bias against women. It said about 61% of married women had experienced physical violence within their homes, while 31% experienced violence in the last 12 months. Domestic violence is seen as one of the key stumbling blocks to the control of HIV/AIDS in Uganda, the study said. It said because of the persistent low social status, women had no control over their reproductive health. This, the report added, impacted on their economic productivity. “The high fertility rates are due to the fact that many women cannot decide when or how many children to have,” it said. The report also pointed out that many girls were dropping out of school, despite the universal primary and secondary education programme. It said parents were pulling their daughters out of school to marry them off or to force them into domestic work. Some drop out because they are defiled and impregnated by teachers, while others stop studying because their parents cannot afford the little money needed. Even in the Universal Primary Education schools, parents have to pay up to sh18,000, according to the report. The participants called for the creation of a Girl-child Trust to stop girls from dropping out of school.
Tuesday, May 26, 2009
NEWS: HIV/AIDS-A widow’s struggle to care for orphans affected by the disease
HIV/AIDS-A widow’s struggle to care for orphans affected by the disease
Sunday, 24th May, 2009 from NEW VISION
Odongpiny (left) and her grandchildren at their new latrine. Neighbours would not let them use their latrines because they are HIV-positive
SOME of the stories told about the burdens some families are bearing as a result of the HIV/AIDS pandemic, may sound hard to believe. Despite the efforts of the Government and non governmental organisations to support people living with HIV/AIDS, the burden is still heavy. One of the greatest challenges facing people living with HIV/AIDS is discrimination and stigmatisation. This has been the case for 66-year-old Mego Rose Odongpiny who contracted HIV while attending to her sick children. A resident of Layibi A and B village in Pece Division, Gulu Municipality, Odongpiny lost seven of her eight children to HIV/AIDS. Her husband died of natural causes and she is now left to care for her 14 orphaned grandchildren. “As I attended to my children, I was advised by health workers to test for HIV and was found positive. Since then, I have been taking care of my grandchildren, seven of whom are infected with HIV. There was no one to help me and our neighbours discriminated against us,” she says. Odongpiny sought help beyond her neighbourhood, but even there her efforts were futile. “I used to move to the offices of several NGOs working in Gulu but all I returned home with were promises that were never fulfiled. There was not a single follow-up on any of my requests for assistance. None of the organisations took the initiative,” she says as tears roll down her cheeks. It was not until Odongpiny approached Health Alert Uganda (HAU) that she was able to find help. She is now the beneficiary of a sh1.3m pit latrine from the organisation which also provides medical care for her HIV-positive grandchildren. The two-stance pit latrine was constructed with funds from Health Alert Uganda, Gulu Youth Centre and Save the Children in Uganda. It was recently handed over to Odongpiny at her home in Pece Division. Odongpiny says: “I am pleased with the contribution of the NGOs because my children used to ease themselves in the bush. The neighbours would stop the children from using their latrines because they have HIV/AIDS.” The advocacy officer of HAU, Francis Obutu, said the NGOs were fulfiling their social corporate responsibility by contributing towards the wellbeing of Odongpiny and her family. The Pece Division LC3 chairman, Geoffrey Otim, contributed sh100,000 as capital for Odongpiny to set up a small business. He said no one should be discriminated against for being HIV-positive.
Sunday, 24th May, 2009 from NEW VISION
Odongpiny (left) and her grandchildren at their new latrine. Neighbours would not let them use their latrines because they are HIV-positive SOME of the stories told about the burdens some families are bearing as a result of the HIV/AIDS pandemic, may sound hard to believe. Despite the efforts of the Government and non governmental organisations to support people living with HIV/AIDS, the burden is still heavy. One of the greatest challenges facing people living with HIV/AIDS is discrimination and stigmatisation. This has been the case for 66-year-old Mego Rose Odongpiny who contracted HIV while attending to her sick children. A resident of Layibi A and B village in Pece Division, Gulu Municipality, Odongpiny lost seven of her eight children to HIV/AIDS. Her husband died of natural causes and she is now left to care for her 14 orphaned grandchildren. “As I attended to my children, I was advised by health workers to test for HIV and was found positive. Since then, I have been taking care of my grandchildren, seven of whom are infected with HIV. There was no one to help me and our neighbours discriminated against us,” she says. Odongpiny sought help beyond her neighbourhood, but even there her efforts were futile. “I used to move to the offices of several NGOs working in Gulu but all I returned home with were promises that were never fulfiled. There was not a single follow-up on any of my requests for assistance. None of the organisations took the initiative,” she says as tears roll down her cheeks. It was not until Odongpiny approached Health Alert Uganda (HAU) that she was able to find help. She is now the beneficiary of a sh1.3m pit latrine from the organisation which also provides medical care for her HIV-positive grandchildren. The two-stance pit latrine was constructed with funds from Health Alert Uganda, Gulu Youth Centre and Save the Children in Uganda. It was recently handed over to Odongpiny at her home in Pece Division. Odongpiny says: “I am pleased with the contribution of the NGOs because my children used to ease themselves in the bush. The neighbours would stop the children from using their latrines because they have HIV/AIDS.” The advocacy officer of HAU, Francis Obutu, said the NGOs were fulfiling their social corporate responsibility by contributing towards the wellbeing of Odongpiny and her family. The Pece Division LC3 chairman, Geoffrey Otim, contributed sh100,000 as capital for Odongpiny to set up a small business. He said no one should be discriminated against for being HIV-positive.
NEWS: Somali crisis a genocide, says President Museveni
Somali crisis a genocide, says President Museveni
Tuesday, 26th May, 2009 from NEW VISION online
The UN secretary general’s special representative to Somalia, Ahmedou Ould Abdallah, inspects a guard of honour mounted by Ugandan troops in Mogadishu on Monday. Abdallah was in Somalia to morale boost the peace-keepers
President Yoweri Museveni has described the situation in Somalia, where hard-line Islamists are battling the transitional Government, as genocide. “This is a type of genocide. Genocide does not have to be overnight. You can have slow genocide. Why should Africans suffer like this?” the President said. He was addressing guests at Serena Hotel on Monday at a function to mark the 46th anniversary of the Organisation of African Unity (now African Union). Clashes between the insurgents and government troops have left at least 200 people dead since the beginning of May and displaced another 60,000 people. President Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmed, a moderate Islamist elected by a unity government in January, says radical al-Shabab fighters, accused of having links to al-Qaeda, have in their ranks foreigners who have fought in Iraq and Afghanistan. Uganda and Burundi are the only countries that have contributed soldiers to the AU peacekeeping mission in Somalia, forming a force of 4,300, far short of the 8,000 troops needed. Museveni named Somalia and Darfur as the only conflicts remaining in Africa, noting that the AU is addressing it with the urgency and seriousness it deserves. “At a political level, progress has been made in the area of continental peace and security, through our Peace and Security Council. Africa is increasingly taking responsibility with regard to the remaining parts on the continent,” he said. He cited the peace efforts in Liberia, Sierra Leone and Burundi, and the current efforts in Darfur and Somalia, as a demonstration of the resolve by African leaders to solve their own problems. Museveni, however, pointed that the continent still faces economic challenges that should be addressed if the continent is to achieve the Millennium Develop Goals. “Challenges remain on the economic front, especially the roads, the railway and electricity”, he noted. “In the last 45 years, except for South Africa and Mauritius, no African country has transited from the Third World to the First World.” Richard Kabonero, the dean of the African diplomatic corps, cited piracy and terrorism as the greatest threat to African’s peace and stability. He appealed to Africa and the international community to find a lasting solution to the chaos in Somalia with a view of eradicating the potential terrorism threat in the Gulf of Aden. “Uganda and Burundi have contributed positively. However, much more should have been achieved if the mandate and size of the peacekeeping force were addressed,” he noted. On the political front, Kabonero reported that the AU had suspended Madagascar, Mauritania, Equatorial Guinea, and Guinea Conakry following recent coups in those countries. Meanwhile, a senior Government official has said Uganda has no intention of withdrawing its troops from Somalia. “The AU mission has no plan to withdraw. We have played a positive role. We would want to see that built on rather than dismantled,” Ambassador James Mugume, the foreign affairs permanent secretary, told journalists yesterday during the induction workshop for new Ugandan ambassadors. Uganda last week announced it will soon send another contingent to Mogadishu to replace the ones who are there.
Tuesday, 26th May, 2009 from NEW VISION online
The UN secretary general’s special representative to Somalia, Ahmedou Ould Abdallah, inspects a guard of honour mounted by Ugandan troops in Mogadishu on Monday. Abdallah was in Somalia to morale boost the peace-keepers
President Yoweri Museveni has described the situation in Somalia, where hard-line Islamists are battling the transitional Government, as genocide. “This is a type of genocide. Genocide does not have to be overnight. You can have slow genocide. Why should Africans suffer like this?” the President said. He was addressing guests at Serena Hotel on Monday at a function to mark the 46th anniversary of the Organisation of African Unity (now African Union). Clashes between the insurgents and government troops have left at least 200 people dead since the beginning of May and displaced another 60,000 people. President Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmed, a moderate Islamist elected by a unity government in January, says radical al-Shabab fighters, accused of having links to al-Qaeda, have in their ranks foreigners who have fought in Iraq and Afghanistan. Uganda and Burundi are the only countries that have contributed soldiers to the AU peacekeeping mission in Somalia, forming a force of 4,300, far short of the 8,000 troops needed. Museveni named Somalia and Darfur as the only conflicts remaining in Africa, noting that the AU is addressing it with the urgency and seriousness it deserves. “At a political level, progress has been made in the area of continental peace and security, through our Peace and Security Council. Africa is increasingly taking responsibility with regard to the remaining parts on the continent,” he said. He cited the peace efforts in Liberia, Sierra Leone and Burundi, and the current efforts in Darfur and Somalia, as a demonstration of the resolve by African leaders to solve their own problems. Museveni, however, pointed that the continent still faces economic challenges that should be addressed if the continent is to achieve the Millennium Develop Goals. “Challenges remain on the economic front, especially the roads, the railway and electricity”, he noted. “In the last 45 years, except for South Africa and Mauritius, no African country has transited from the Third World to the First World.” Richard Kabonero, the dean of the African diplomatic corps, cited piracy and terrorism as the greatest threat to African’s peace and stability. He appealed to Africa and the international community to find a lasting solution to the chaos in Somalia with a view of eradicating the potential terrorism threat in the Gulf of Aden. “Uganda and Burundi have contributed positively. However, much more should have been achieved if the mandate and size of the peacekeeping force were addressed,” he noted. On the political front, Kabonero reported that the AU had suspended Madagascar, Mauritania, Equatorial Guinea, and Guinea Conakry following recent coups in those countries. Meanwhile, a senior Government official has said Uganda has no intention of withdrawing its troops from Somalia. “The AU mission has no plan to withdraw. We have played a positive role. We would want to see that built on rather than dismantled,” Ambassador James Mugume, the foreign affairs permanent secretary, told journalists yesterday during the induction workshop for new Ugandan ambassadors. Uganda last week announced it will soon send another contingent to Mogadishu to replace the ones who are there.
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