Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Julius Businge | The National Social Security Fund (NSSF) has donated 5, 000 coronavirus testing kits, reagents and accessories worth Shs381million to the Ministry of Health, it said on April 21. Officials said that part of this money (Shs60million) has been contributed voluntarily by individual …
Read More »Europe races to shield virus-hit firms from bargain hunters
Frankfurt am Main, Germany | AFP | Fears that cash-rich corporate raiders could use the coronavirus crisis to swoop on weakened European firms were perhaps best exemplified by Donald Trump’s alleged bid for a German biotech firm working on a vaccine. The outrage that followed has spurred fresh action by European …
Read More »MOH: Body of Ugandan repatriated from Dubai not related to COVID-19
Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | A Ugandan who passed away in Dubai and whose body was repatriated into the country was an accident and not COVID-19 victim , Ministry of Health has clarified. The Director-General of Health Services Dr Henry Mwebesa says that the person whose body was repatriated from …
Read More »No benefit, higher death rate for malaria drug in coronavirus study
Washington, United States | AFP | A malaria drug widely touted as a potential cure for COVID-19 showed no benefit against the disease over standard care — and was in fact associated with more deaths, the biggest study of its kind showed Tuesday. The US government funded analysis of how American …
Read More »COVID-19: Health officials intercept body from Dubai
Uganda COVID-19 stats ✳ 14,761 tested ✳ 61 confirmed cases ✳ 38 recoveries ✳ 23 active cases ✳ 0 deaths Entebbe, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | The Ministry of Health (MOH) surveillance team on Tuesday intercepted an A-Plus van heading to Kayunga with a body flown in from Qatar. Ministry …
Read More »NWSC guarantees water production despite COVID-19 challenges
DR. Silver Mugisha is the Managing Director of National Water and Sewerage Corporation (NWSC). He spoke to The Independent about strategies NWSC is using to continue serving Ugandans despite the economic challenges created by the raging COVID-19 pandemic. QUESTION: How is NWSC coping with COVID-19 pandemic? ANSWER: It is a tough time that requires innovation and …
Read More »Coronavirus pandemic ‘amplifies press freedom threats’
Paris, France | AFP | The coronavirus pandemic is exacerbating threats to press freedom around the world, with authoritarian states including China and Iran suppressing details of the outbreak, activists said on Tuesday. Paris-based Reporters Without Borders (RSF) said in its annual press freedom rankings that the pandemic was “highlighting and …
Read More »More tests needed to guarantee safety from COVID-19 – Health Ministry
Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | The number of tests carried out so far are not enough to guarantee that Uganda has successfully contained coronavirus-COVID-19. Uganda confirmed the first case of the virus on March 21. A month later, about 13,000 tests have been conducted by the Uganda Virus Research Institute …
Read More »Coronavirus could double number facing acute hunger: UN
Paris, France | AFP | The coronavirus pandemic could nearly double the number of people around the world facing acute hunger, the UN’s World Food Programme warned Tuesday. “The number of people facing acute food insecurity stands to rise to 265 million in 2020, up by 130 million from the 135 million in 2019, as …
Read More »Makerere University hospital to start COVID-19 testing
Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Makerere University hospital is set to start conducting coronavirus –COVID-19 tests, making the institution the second in the country to conduct such tests. Makerere University Vice Chancellor, Professor Barnabas Nawangwe says they have already received 40,000 testing kits from donors. In a virtual press conference …
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