Uganda News

Kampala, 8th October 2020- The British Government recently released a grant of GBP 1.322 million (UGX 6.11 billion) to support various aspects of Uganda’s fight against COVID-19. Activities funded by the UK grant are being implemented by two United Nations agencies, the World Health Organization (WHO) and the International Organization for Migration (IOM).

Kampala, 5th October 2020:- “Angels” is a name one would hardly associate with the COVID-19 burial teams, but in greater Masaka sub-region, southern Uganda, they are known as such.

It all started in Kyambogo village Lwankoni sub-county in Kyoteera district where the team had gone to conduct a safe and dignified burial of a deceased COVID-19 patient brought from Kampala. It was a sight to behold for the locals. They had never seen such a team let alone witness a COVID-19 death.

Kampala, 30th September 2020:- The Minister of Health Dr Jane Ruth Aceng has hailed the support of the donor partners and the United Nations Family towards Uganda’s efforts to contain the  COVID-19 pandemic. 

The Minister was receiving equipment worth USD 250,000 procured by the World Health Organization (WHO) with funding from the Irish Government. 

Kampala – When 30-year-old Ugandan entrepreneur Laura Nagasha returned from a holiday in Dubai in March, Uganda was yet to register any confirmed cases of COVID-19, and Dubai was not on the list of high-risk countries for the virus. Nagasha was tired from a busy trip and had developed a slight cough, but felt fine otherwise. After her arrival she decided to stay with friends for a while rather than returning straight home to her parents. 

Kampala, 24 September 2020: - For many health workers of Arua Regional Referral Hospital (ARRH), 24th April 2020 is a day they will always remember with some trepidation. On that day, the hospital received its first COVID-19 patient and the health workers were understandably scared.

With the country under total lockdown and news channels beaming with constant pictures of death and sickness from all over the world, it was now the turn for ARRH health workers to play their part in the enduring COVID-19 tragedy.

Kampala, 21 September 2020:- In Bwindi village in Kanungu district southwestern Uganda, a team of four masked Village Health Team (VHTs) members armed with pens, notebooks and forms go knocking door-to-door checking on the health of people in the community. They are accustomed to this routine as they have been doing it for the last six months when COVID-19 was confirmed in the country.

Kampala, 17 September 2020: - “As we mark this year’s World Patient Safety Day, it is imperative to note that the current COVID-19 pandemic poses huge challenges and risks to health workers in Uganda, and globally. Working in stressful environments makes health workers more prone to errors which might occasionally cause bodily harm to patients,” said Dr Diana Atwine, the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Health, Uganda as the country commemorated World Patient Safety Day 2020.

Kampala, 14 September 2020: - Amuru Prison is just like any other prisons facility in Uganda with prisoners going about their daily chores and routines under the watchful eyes of wardens. The situation has been like this for years, and it continues to be. 

When much of the world was waking up to the enormous implications of a global pandemic, Uganda was already a step ahead thanks to Ebola. 

While COVID-19 has its unique challenges, such as quick spread, dealing with it requires the type of response Uganda has been practising over the years with the Ebola threat,