Health in East Africa

  • Uganda: Swine Fever Breaks Out in Kampala

    UGANDA, 2016/01/18 An outbreak of African swine fever, a viral disease that affects pigs has broken out in Kampala, according to Kampala Capital City Authority. The outbreak has been reported in Lungujja parish located in Rubaga Division, in Kampala. According to Dr Emilian Ahimbisibwe, who is in charge of veterinary services at KCCA, a quarantine for pigs and their products has been enforced in the affected area of Lungujja parish and its neighbouring parishes, particularly Busega and Lubya parishes.
  • Private equity firm discusses Ethiopia pharma investment

    ETHIOPIA, 2016/01/10 UK-based private equity firm 54 Capital today announced it has entered Ethiopia’s pharmaceutical market through an investment of US$42m into Addis Pharmaceutical Factory (APF). According to the firm, an initial investment of $30m, with the option to invest a further $12m, will be used to increase APF’s national and international reach. Why the firm (investment associate at 54 Capital) decided to invest in Ethiopia’s pharmaceutical industry.
  • People with malaria have been flooding to regional hospitals which are running low on resources to provide care

    SOUTH SUDAN, 2016/01/06 In a remote northwest corner of South Sudan, Theresa Ahok is in a hurry. The 35-year-old is from the village of Adiang and walked for an hour and a half before managing to flag down a truck to drive her and her sick son another hour to the hospital. "I'm racing", she says," and I'm worried I won't get to the hospital in time." Her son Bakita is two-and-a-half years old and has malaria. She gave him some anti-malarial medication at home but it didn't help. He then started convulsing and she knew it was time to make the journey into Aweil. The city of Aweil is a patchwork of red dirt roads leading to a bustling town centre that has been a pocket of peace in a conflict-ridden country for the past two years.
  • UNICEF gets 1.5 mln USD for emergency support in Uganda

    UGANDA, 2015/12/08 The UN's Children's agency has received 1.5 million U.S. dollars from the British government for emergency support in Uganda where El Nino rains continue to cause havoc. United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) in a statement said the support will benefit children and women from the 32 highly affected in the east African country. The agency said the continuous heavy rains have caused flooding and water logging, exposing children and women to a better risk of disease outbreaks such as cholera, malaria, diarrhea and typhoid part others.
  • Fear of cholera, floods as Burundi refugees pack Tanzania camps

    BURUNDI, 2015/11/23 Heavy rains, flooding and a spike in new arrivals could threaten the lives of over 110,000 Burundian refugees in overcrowded camps in Tanzania, six aid agencies said on Monday, amid warnings of rising political tension in Burundi. Life-threatening malaria and diarrhoea have been spreading in Nyarugusu, the world's third major refugee camp, since the rainy season began, and damage caused by a powerful El Nino has left aid agencies short of funds throughout east Africa. "Refugees are arriving in their hundreds each day," the agencies, which include Oxfam, Save the Children and HelpAge International, said in a statement.
  • Rwanda, Health Insurance for the poor

    RWANDA, 2015/10/13 Reports indicate that only 65 % of the people targeted for Mutuelle de santé have paid their premiums and 35 % have not paid. Because of this, the government has made its stance clear that it will be locking out those who have not paid premiums for the social medical insurance plan. The scheme, which is handled by Rwanda Social Security Board (RSSB), has been one of the initiatives which has garnered a lot of regional and international praise for the government. The globally lauded universal medical insurance plan targeting the poor and vulnerable has cemented the RPF leadership as a pro-poor establishment with the credentials to support and uplift people out of poverty and other vulnerabilities.
  • No Medical Assistance Available in Leer, Following Repeated Lootings of MSF Facility

    SOUTH SUDAN, 2015/10/11 Civilian populations in Leer and Mayendit Counties have once again been deprived of access to urgently needed medical and humanitarian assistance next a Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) compound in Leer was looted twice by well-organized armed men on 2 and 3 October. As a result, MSF was forced to suspend medical activities and evacuate its team from Leer. "MSF strongly condemns these armed robberies of its medical personnel and facilities," says MSF Emergency Manager Tara Newell. "These incidents have forced MSF to suspend its medical activities in Leer and they are responsible for depriving the people of urgently needed medical assistance." On Friday, 2 October, amid renewed clashes, MSF was looted by well-organized armed men who entered its compound with their weapons, intimidated MSF staff with threat of violence and stole medical supplies, vehicles, technical equipment and personal belongings. MSF remained in Leer to continue providing medical assistance to war-wounded patients who were receiving treatment at the time of the incident.
  • The number of people killed by cholera in Tanzania's commercial capital Dar es Salaam rose

    TANZANIA, 2015/09/29 The number of people killed by cholera in Tanzania's commercial capital Dar es Salaam rose from one to four on Monday, said medical authorities. Kinondoni municipal health authorities said the number of patients admitted to hospitals increased from six as of Monday. However, the medical authorities said they were trying to establish the source of the outbreak the deadly disease. Musa Naty, the Kinondoni municipal director, confirmed that four patients were diagnosed with cholera next samples of their stools tested positive for the bacterial infection.
  • Global Malaria Target Met Amid Sharp Drop in Cases

    BOTSWANA, 2015/09/22 Malaria death rates have plunged by 60 % since 2000, but the ancient killer remains an acute public health problem with 15 nations mainly in sub-Saharan Africa accounting for some 80 % of cases and deaths globally, according to a new United Nations statement released today. “World malaria control is one of the great public health success stories of the completed 15 years,” said Dr. Margaret Chan, Director-General of the UN World Health Organization (WHO). “It’s a sign that our strategies are on target, and that we can beat this ancient killer, which still claims hundreds of thousands of lives, mostly children, each year.”
  • Children Who Died After Measles Vaccine Were Injected By a Cleaner, Kenya

    KENYA, 2015/09/13 The two children who died in Kerio Valley in Elgeyo-Marakwet on Monday next a measles vaccine, were injected by a cleaner, the government said Wednesday. Director of Medical Services Nicholas Muraguri said the cleaner has worked at the Kapetwa Health Centre for additional than eight years, and "it seems he has treated patients before". Dr Muraguri told Country: "We understand he was employed by the local community and we are investigating who authorised him to administer the vaccine. The man has been arrested."