Uganda News

Kampala-Under the aegis of the Global Eliminate Yellow Fever Epidemics (EYE) strategy and with support from Gavi, UNICEF, WHO, and Uganda’s Ministry of Health, the country has successfully completed phase 3a of its nationwide accelerated yellow fever vaccination campaign in response to the epidemiological situation, achieving an impressive 92% vaccination coverage in the 19 targeted districts. This phase, undertaken on 10-16 April 2025, was particularly significant as it was also used to respond to an active outbreak.

Entebbe. Uganda and 13 other countries in Eastern Africa have successfully concluded a three-day joint simulation on outbreak preparedness and response.  With more than 50 participants, including specialists in case management, water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH), infection prevention and control, and logistics, the simulation exercises took place inside the Infectious Diseases Treatment Module (IDTM), an innovative, rapidly deployable medical facility developed under INITIATE²  to respond to infectious disease outbreaks.  

At a  bustling outpatient clinic on the outskirts of Kampala, a nurse reaches for a thermometer—slim, silvery, and fragile. It’s a mercury-containing device, once a staple in healthcare, now recognized as a silent hazard. Uganda is taking bold steps to eliminate such risks and transition toward mercury-free healthcare.

As Uganda prepares to host thousands of pilgrims for the annual Martyrs day pilgrimage on 3 June 2025, the Ministry of Health, with support from World Health Organization (WHO) and Malteser International, conducted a full-scale simulation exercise at the Namugongo Catholic Shrine to assess the country’s capacity to respond to mass casualty incidents during large public gatherings.

In Uganda, a country that shoulders the third-highest burden of malaria cases globally, time has become both the enemy and the solution. Every hour a patient goes untreated, the risk of complications and death grows exponentially. Recognizing this, the Ministry of Health, with technical support from World Health Organization (WHO), launched the “24.2 hours initiative” on 25 April 2025. This is a transformative malaria strategy designed to save lives by racing against the clock.

As Uganda faces mounting challenges in financing its health sector amid declining donor support, the government is committed to ensuring that health is prioritized across all sectors. The Government of Uganda convened a three-day high-level national dialogue on health financing for Uganda convened in Kampala by the Ministry of Health, East African Community (EAC), World Health Organization (WHO), and other development partners.

With an estimated 96,000 new cases of Tuberculosis (TB) reported annually, Uganda is among the 30 high-burden countries affected by both TB and TB-HIV co-infection. 

Approximately 35% of notified TB cases are co-infected with HIV, and around 2% involve drug-resistant TB, complicating treatment and recovery.

When Dr Ezra Mupakasa first developed a fever and headache on January 25, 2025, he suspected it might be something common - fatigue, perhaps, or an ordinary viral infection. As a health worker at Saidina Abubakar Islamic Hospital in Uganda, he was used to being cautious and seeing patients come and go with all sorts of symptoms. 

This time, recalls Dr Mupakasa, the signs pointed to something more serious. A few days later, the confirmation came: a positive PCR test. Dr Mupakasa had attended to the index case.

One day, a couple is at home discussing dinner plans, sharing stories about work, and dreaming about the future.  In an instant, everything changes. One partner is gone, taken by a dreaded disease that sends everyone into a panic: Ebola.