Health

Maternal deaths increase as health workers shift to care for COVID-19 patients Kampala, Uganda | PATRICIA AKANKWATSA | Uganda’s response to COVID-19 has negatively impacted maternal, child and neonatal health, according to data by the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA). The UNFPA says the biggest and longest lasting impact is …

Vaccine linked to rare condition in which the immune system attacks the nerves Africa, the continent with the world’s lowest vaccination rate, is going ahead with plans to procure Johnson & Johnson’s Covid-19 vaccine undeterred by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s warning about the inoculation. The FDA earlier this …

Istanbul, Turkey | Xinhua | Turkey will gradually reduce sugar amounts in foods and beverages to fight the climbing rate of obesity due to the COVID-19 pandemic, which has altered people’s eating habits. Last week, the Turkish Health Ministry released the Sugar Reduction Guide in order to gradually reduce the amount …

Gulu, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Gulu University has said that they are ready to conduct clinical trials for Covilyce-1, a herbal medicine. A clinical trial is a stage where experiments are conducted to obtain sufficient evidence that a drug can be considered effective as a medical treatment. Three weeks ago, …

  Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | The Namboole stadium COVID-19 treatment centre in Kampala, has recorded a major drop in cases, with only 40 patients currently in admission. Just a few weeks ago, there were fears that the health system would collapse with single day deaths increasing to 50, and …

Interleukin-6 receptor blockers join corticosteroids on list of effective treatments for severe coronavirus. Geneva, Switzerland | Xinhua | The World Health Organization (WHO) on Tuesday recommended interleukin-6 receptor blockers for people with severe COVID-19, urging the producers to join efforts to rapidly increase the access to the drugs. The WHO said …

SEMA initiative will ensure reproductive health products are available to women and girls in an equitable, cheaper and efficient manner Nairobi, Kenya | Xinhua | Three African countries including Burkina Faso, Nigeria and Uganda on Monday joined hands with international donors to launch an initiative aimed at improving access to reproductive …

As revealed by experiences of doctors and nurses | OLUWAMAYOWA O. OGUNDAINI | Information and communication technologies can dramatically improve healthcare delivery. They can make communication and exchange of information between healthcare professionals easier. And patients can consult doctors remotely. Some of the most commonly used information and communication technologies …

Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | The Ministry of Health has cautioned COVID-19 testing facilities about the use of antigen COVID-19 Rapid Diagnostic Kits (RDTs) to screen asymptomatic patients. According to the health ministry, the RDTs should be used to test persons who have symptoms of COVID-19 because they have …

Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | The National Medical Stores (NMS) has appealed to members of Parliament to address a concern of conflict between the Ministry of Health and NDA on procurement of vaccines and other supplies. The NMS General Manager Moses Kamabare appeared before the 40-member Parliament Taskforce monitoring …