Uganda News

Vaccines are largely known to be safe and effective in protecting people against deadly and disabling infectious diseases. Currently, there are vaccines that are effective against over 20 diseases. Overall, it is estimated that vaccines save the lives of up to 3 million people annually.  

However, over time, vaccination programs have faced several challenges prominent of which is the increasing vaccine hesitancy among the public. Hesitancy has particularly affected the newly introduced COVID-19 vaccines including the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine.

WHO wishes to clarify on an article that appeared in The Observer Newspaper and on its online platform https://observer.ug/news/headlines/68815-allergic-persons-advised-not-t… under the title: “Allergic person advised not to take COVID-19 vaccination”.  

WHO is aware that a small fraction of people – around one person in every one million people vaccinated— may have a severe allergic reaction to the COVID-19 vaccines, known as anaphylaxis.

Uganda has battled HIV/AIDS for over three decades and in that time, hundreds of people have died, thousands have survived, and a lot of capacity has been developed. It is, however, the capacity aspect especially at the community level, that has given mileage to Uganda’s COVID-19 response.  

For instance, Kanungu district, in southwestern Uganda has a Network of People Living with HIV/AIDS (PLHAs) with a membership of over 7,000 with the purpose of strengthening adherence to treatment and sensitizing communities on HIV/AIDS prevention.

KAMPALA- Friday, 6 March 2021– The Ministry of Health has today received 864,000 doses of the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine, shipped via the COVAX facility—the world’s facility for universal access to COVID-19 vaccines.

Edrine Mukalazi a teacher of Literature and English at Insula Secondary School in Kitasiba village in Kyotera district about 60km from Kyotera town on the Mutukula highway has a stunning experience with COVID-19 infection he will never forget. A positive test result and the consequent mandatory isolation made him a village pariah and he nearly starved to death.

The recently concluded national elections in Uganda presented one fundamental public health challenge that will be live in the annals of history: How to prevent the spread of a highly infectious disease in a low-resourced setting during an event that by its very nature is meant to congregate thousands of people.

The period between August to December of every two years is cherished among the Bagisu, a tribe in the Mbale sub-region, eastern Uganda. This is the time when the highly revered traditional circumcision ceremony of boys known as “Imbalu” is held.

Kyabasara Primary School in Kagadi district southwestern Uganda is the epitome of a typical Ugandan rural school. A couple of brick-and-mortar buildings facing each other constitute the classes, staffroom, and office; a big compound in the middle and a latrine at the back, complete the school infrastructure.

The school, just like the rest in the country, has a big number of eager students usually in pink or green uniforms ready to imbibe knowledge from their equally eager teachers. They bustle with life, unhinged innocence, and happiness!  

A Regional Partners’ Consultative Forum established by WHO in Gulu district, Northern Uganda has strengthened partner coordination, increased resource mobilization, and created synergies for an effective COVID-19 response.

The coordination has helped to harmonize response activities, foster accountability, and transparency. With WHO technical coordination and guidance, there is now less fragmentation and duplication of response activities.

At about 4:00 pm, a team from the field support team from the World Health Organization (WHO) meets Fahad Barigira, a 24-year-old man on the shores of Lake Edward. He is getting ready for his next fishing shift which starts at 5:00 pm and ends at 7:00 am the next day. 

Fahad is married with one child and has spent three years as a fisherman on the lake. He is part of a three-man fishing crew which includes his brother and a friend.