Uganda News

The President of the Republic of Uganda His Excellency General Yoweri Kaguta Museveni has praised the World Health Organisation for the support given to the country over the years.

“I thank WHO because they have always been with us in all these struggles,” said the President as he officially launched the distribution of Long Lasting Insecticide Treated Nets (LLINs) during the commemoration of the 6th World Malaria Day held at Soroti Sports ground on 10th May 2013.

Uganda joined the rest of the world to commemorate World No Tobacco Day (WNTD) on 31st May 2013 under the theme: “Ban All Tobacco Advertising, Promotion and sponsorship”.

The commemoration marks 26 years since the declaration by WHO to observe a “World No Tobacco Day” once annually. It also marks 10 years since Nations unanimously adopted the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC).

The WHO Country Representative Dr Wondimagegnehu Alemu on Monday made a courtesy visit to the US Agency for International Development (USAID) at the US Embassy in Kampala.

Dr Alemu was received by Ms Leslie Reed the Director of the USAID Mission in Uganda. In her welcome remarks, Ms Reed thanked WHO for the excellent work done in the health sector and also briefed him on the various health programmes supported by USAID in Uganda.

The new WHO Representative to Uganda, Dr. Wondimagegnehu Alemu, presented his credentials to the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Uganda, Hon Sam Kutesa, at a brief ceremony held on Friday 14th June 2013. The ceremony took place at the headquarters of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Soon after, the two held discussions on diverse health development issues in Uganda.

At the request of the United Nations Resident Coordinator, a high level meeting was held with the new Minister of Health Dr Ruhakana Rugunda to discuss to the issues affecting the performance of the immunization program in Uganda.

The meeting was attended by the Director General of Health Services Dr Jane Ruth Aceng, Deputy UNICEF Representative Dr. May Anaybolu, the WHO Representative Dr Wondimagegnehu Alemu and technical officers from WHO and UNICEF.

As a way of leading by example, WHO Country Office staff donated blood to the Uganda Blood Transfusion Service in commemoration of World Blood Donor day 2013.

They were led by the WHO Country Representative Dr Wondimagegnehu Alemu in an exercise that was conducted at the office. Overall, about 30 staff volunteered and donated blood which is more than 75% turn up. Recruitment of donors is an on-going activity required to maintain regular blood stocks in all health facilities.

The WHO Country Representative to Uganda, Dr. Wondemagegnehu Alemu, received on Friday, 21 June 2012, a team of consultants from EnCompass LLC (USA), who are in the country to evaluate the WHO Gates Africa Tobacco Control Project in Uganda. This is the second annual appraisal for the project, which was launched back in 2011, with the objective to support African governments arrest the growing tobacco use epidemic in the African Region.

Kampala August 2013 -- Uganda commemorated the World Breast Feeding Week (WBW) 2013 with a call to mothers to exclusively breastfeed their children for the first six months after birth irrespective of their HIV status.

Kampala August 2013 -- Uganda has successfully interrupted transmission of onchocerciasis (River Blindness) in 8 out of 18 localized areas (foci) endemic for the disease and is likely to eliminate it by 2020.

Kampala, September 2013 -- Uganda’s Ministry of Health hosted the 19th Joint Review Mission and 9th National Health Assembly from 23rd to 26th September 2013 during which progress was reported on the 26 core health indicators.