The level of cancer awareness among many Ugandans is woefully low, which exposes them to the deadly disease.

This is according to the findings of a recent study conducted by the Uganda Women Cancer Support Organization in Kampala city and Wakiso district.

Cancer is one of the leading killers, especially in developing countries like Uganda.

According to the findings of the new study, breast cancer is the most prevalent form of cancer affecting many people in Uganda. But the researchers found that very few people can tell different cancers apart, let alone their causes.

It was also found that cancer was more prevalent among females compared males. Men don’t suffer from cervical cancer but can be carriers who transmit it to the females.

As they disseminated the results of the study, officials of the Uganda Women Cancer Support Organization called on different stakeholders to join the campaign to increase cancer sensitization among the public.  

As an effort to overcome such challenges, the researchers urged government to pay more attention to the health sector, especially in the treatment of cancer and training of specialists.

Kabbale Ivan

According to the WHO Representative in Uganda Dr. Joachim Saweka, finding a vaccine for HIV is still a long way.

Truvada, a common anti – retroviral drug in Zimbabwe was recently approved for use as an HIV prevention tool in high-risk people living negatively by an advisory panel of the US Food and Drug Administration.

Truvada, which is manufactured by Gilead sciences Incorporated, has been in use since 2004 by people already living with HIV/AIDS.

Those supporting the use of  Truvada as a vaccine argue that if used daily, it can reduce the risk of  HIV infection in negative people by at least 75%.

A study done in June 2005 estimates that 682 million dollars is spent annually on AIDS vaccine research.

But WHO country representative Dr. Joachim Saweka says a vaccine is a long way from being found, adding that whereas three lines of research are ongoing, no drug has been prequalified as a vaccine.

Dr. Saweka was speaking after meeting a delegation of mayors and HIV focal persons from Tanzania.

The visitors are being hosted by the Alliance of Mayors and Municipal Leaders on HIV/AIDS in Africa (AMICAAL) – Uganda chapter.

The Tanzanians are here to learn from Uganda how she is handling the deadly virus.

Dr. Saweka also lashed out at some religious leaders and cults that claim to treat HIV/AIDS and therefore, misleading their followers to abandon their ARVS.

A combination strategy involving Safe Male Circumcision and Elimination of  Mother To Child Transmission was recently rolled out by AMICAAL – Uganda chapter and will be implemented in eight districts.

But before a vaccine is found, experts urge emphasis on prevention strategies to cut further the HIV prevalence rates currently standing at 6.7%.

TYABA S. ABUBAKAR

The pilot phase of the project began today and the coordinator is confident this will make the effort more meaningful. Kampala city yange is a partnership between private concerned citizens and Kampala Capital City Authority.

Kampala city yange officials and alongside colleagues from KCCA like architects and planners today traversed  Nsooba village in Mulago 111 parish with the aim of designing a workable relationship with residents.

Places like these in Nsooba, with poor hygiene will be given priority in the next city yange interventions. The toilets here are very few and even the ones in use are very bad shape with two of them filled up. Water supply is inadequate, exposing residents to health hazards.

In the city yange effort, people join hands every last Saturday of the month to clean up a given area. The officials reaffirmed their commitment to improve hygiene.

City yange pioneer and coordinator Isaac Ruccci commended Kampala capital city authority technical staff and promised to work closely with them.

Some of the most cited mental health conditions are depression, psychosis, epilepsy and alcoholism and drug abuse. Studies in this regard show that Northern Uganda is the most affected region

Experts blame the many cases of mental disorders in Northern Uganda, on the effects of the Lord’s Resistance Army war, that lasted over twenty years. Stress and depression can lead to mental disorders.

But the key concern that whereas government has provided free drugs and health care for mental diseases in many public health centers, many patients cannot access the services.

And largely due to ignorance, many Ugandans associate mental illness with witchcraft, leading to an increase in the disease burden.

According to Dr. Sheila Ndyanabangi, the principal medical officer in charge of mental health at the ministry of health, the rise in mental diseases is largely linked to changes in peoples’ lifestyles.

The ministry has now partnered with the programme for Improving Mental Health Care (PRIME), a consortium of research institutions and ministries of health in five countries in Africa, Asia and the World Health organization to conduct research on mental health in Uganda. The main objective is to incorporate mental health issues in the country’s Primary Health care programmes.

A six-year study will be conducted in Kamuli district to help build the capacity for health workers and track mental diseases for three years. The results will then be rolled out to other districts.

According to the World Health Organization, mental illnesses are largely ignored by governments since they are not a leading cause of death. Besides, the mentally ill face stigma and discrimination in many societies.

TYABA S. ABUBAKAR

The Uganda Women Parliamentary Association, an umbrellas body of female Parliamentarians is imploring the Parliamentary budget committee to compel government, to increase the budgetary allocation to maternal health. The MPs also want the implementation of existing policies to strengthen the country’s health system.

The women legislators were speaking this morning, while addressing a press at parliament on the eve of the launch of the women’s 5-year strategic plan to run from 2011 to 2016. This,  as MPs consider the 2012/2013 budget estimates.

According to the 2001 Abuja declaration and the Maputo Plan of Action, African governments made commitments to allocate over 15% of their National Budgets to the health sector.

Now, out of the proposed 10 trillion shilling budget this financial year only 660 billion was allocated to the health sector, which is just 6.6% of the budget which is not even half of the commitment.

Women legislators are now asking the budget committee to compel government to raise the allocation to at least 10%.

According to a 2010 UN Report, over 350.000 women die annually from complications related to pregnancy and child birth, and 99% of these deaths occur in developing countries.

Similarly, more than 7.5 million children die annually before their fifth birthday, with over 40% dying in their first month. This sad state of affairs has been blamed on weak health systems, inadequate human resource and financing of the health sector.

These women MPs are also seeking urgent attention on nutrition needs, the rights of women and children to access health facilities, plus the implementation of international commitments like the UN Global Strategy for Women and Children’s health, the Abuja Declaration and the Maputo Plan of Action.

Their other demands are robust implementation of the Domestic Violence Act, Genital Mutilation Act, plus the passing of the Marriage and Divorce Bill and the Sexual Offenses Bill.

These are some of the demands in the female MPs’ 5-year strategic plan to be launched tomorrow.

Teddy Namayanja

Uganda is to circumcise 80% of all men between 15 – 49 years or 4.2 Million men between 2012 – 2016. The government has also targets of reducing the new cases of Mother to Child Transmission to below four percent during the same time frame.

Out of the estimated 1.55 million pregnant women in 2012, about 94,000 are thought to be living with HIV/AIDS. This translates to about 94,000 HIV exposed babies this year who need to be started on ARV therapy.

Uganda has been implementing the Prevention of Mother to Child Transmission (PMTCT) program for 12 years and the services are offered in most Health centers from level 3 to referral hospitals. Of key concern however is that Uganda currently has over 3000 health centre 2s which do not provide the PMTCT services.

Uganda currently has about 1.2 million People living with HIV/AIDS, with about 129,000 new HIV infections annually, despite all the interventions.

98% of all new infections are either through unprotected sex or through mother to child transmission.

The Alliance of Mayors and Municipal Leaders on HIV/AIDS in Africa – Uganda chapter has today kick started a combination strategy involving Elimination of Mother to Child Transmission and Safe Male Circumcision.

This is to be rolled out to eight districts of Uganda including Mayuge, Kampala, Kabale and Kasese. Others are Gulu, Arua and Rakai.

Through this, male circumcision is to be promoted within the next five years.

HIV/ AIDS prevalence is highest in urban centers and according to the ministry of Local Government, there is need to consolidate efforts of urban leaders to fight the scourge.

The AMICAALL intervention aims at strengthening capacity of local government leaders, to promote Safe Male Circumcision and Elimination of Mother to child Transmission, for enhanced combination and prevention at the local level. The interventions will also increase an uptake of the services particularly among urban communities.

TYABA S. ABUBAKAR

Over the years, Kampala City has been synonymous with poor waste disposal. There is prevalence of  haphazard dumping of waste everywhere in the city that one would easily think that the authorities are not doing much to solve the problem. Kampala City Council Authority is responsible for collecting garbage and proper management of waste.

However, it is common to see heaps of garbage along streets and pathways in Uganda’s capital city. Besides, there is poor disposal of human waste especially in congested areas like slums. As a result, people’s health has been at a far greater risk than ever.

The markets have not been any better. For the local man, the markets are sources of food, employment and to others wastage of time. It should be noted that disposal of  both liquid and solid waste is an issue of discipline.

Much of the waste found in these areas is mainly composed of foodstuff. The traders here if taught can make extra income from this rubbish. The most important factor hindering proper wastage disposal is the laxity of the institutions that are mandated to collect the rubbish

Standard Chattered bank this morning launched a waste management campaign in Gaba market. The area is one of the dirtiest in the division; this move is aimed at teaching benefits of managing waste and its proper disposal.

IMMACULATE N. KYATEREKERA

Currently globally, 1.4 million children die every year from preventable diarrhea and poor sanitation-related diseases alone. In Uganda, efforts are under way to bring the situation under control.

In Uganda, the government loses billions of shillings annually in improving sanitation especially urban and peri – urban areas.

Poor sanitation creates risks to children’s survivals as a fecal contaminated environment is directly linked to diahorea and Cholera some of the main causes of infant Mortality in Uganda.

The ministry of education and sports has today launched a project to improve hygiene and sanitation among pupils in primary schools.

According to the Minister of Education and Sports, Jessica Alupo says the project will also benefit communities around these schools.

UN HABITANT and Century Bottling Company have injected 12 million dollars in the school wash project expected to last one year.

Peter Wegulo the county director of  UN HABITAT, the implementers of the program says sanitation in urban primary schools is very poor and they hope the project will help improve students quality of life.

He says their main challenge is that beneficiary communities fail to own the projects, leading to wastage of resources.

Eight schools have so far benefitted from the project.

 In Uganda, four municipal councils including Jinja, Mukono, Masaka and Mbarara will benefit from the project.

Nabakooza Lydia

Government has been called upon to put in place a legislation that accommodates heart and kidney transplants, to allow investors put up such infrastructure, thereby easing the cost of treating patients effectively.

According to Dr.Adila Dahaugdia the consultant specialist Norvik group of hospitals, the institution is going to start up hearts and kidney transplant centers in Nigeria, Ethiopia and Uganda, but only if the legislations in the countries favor the operations.

Kabale woman MP Ronah Ritah Niisima says government has been reluctant in helping people seeking monetary help for transplants. Of key concern is that most kidney patients are diabetic, hypertensive or both.

Kidney failure is blamed on change in lifestyle. With the increasing number of patients received in Mulago and other hospitals, the need for more screening machines is eminent. The renal unit at New Mulago has four modern haemodialysis machines to keep patients with kidney failure alive.

Chronic dialysis is expensive as patients have to buy tubes and agents used in the process and pay for the bed every time they are on the machine. Mr. Gerevase Bagyenyi, a teacher at St. Mary’s College Rushoroza in Kabale district says he spends over five hundred shillings on dialysis per week.

Dr. Adila however says countries like the United States of America have invested a lot in transplants because they are much cheaper compared to treating patients and could benefit people like Gerevase Bagyenyi. He says Insurance companies also easily offer premiums on transplants.

The renal unit in Mulago hospital currently lacks kidney specialists to man it. Uganda has only three kidney specialists and as a result, patients with serious complications queue for long before they get to see a doctor.

Bagyenyi is now seeking forty million shillings from well-wishers to enable him access medical attention in India.

Africa has only two heart and Kidney transplant centers in Egypt and South Africa.

Legislators from Jinja are demanding for immediate improvement in the delivery of health services at the regional referral hospital.

Jinja Municipality MP Grace Moses Balyeku, his Jinja East counterpart Paul Mwiru and the District Woman Mp Agnes Nabirye toured the hospital on a fact finding mission yesterday and decried the poor state of the hospital.

Jinja main Hospital is struggling with acute drug shortages, poor staff accommodation, poor sanitation, congestion and rude medical staff according to hospital users.

The Children’s wing which serves up to ten districts of the region is a disgrace to itself.

Our Jinja correspondent Anthony Palapande reports that the hospital at least one thousand cases daily with two hundred being severe.

Staff establishment here is at seventy eight per cent eighty per cent of these are nurses and thirty per cent doctors overwhelmed by the patient numbers that grow every day.

The Hospital has one of the best Intensive Care units with twelve instead of thirty six nurses forcing the hospital to limit admissions to the unit.

Besides the cost of running this intensive care unit is far above the overall operation costs for the hospital.

The premature unit stinks and surrounded by a bush.

An expensive but redundant generator, a single ambulance in its evenings and a shortage of TB drugs.

At least twenty five cases of measles are reported daily, the number started rising in January.

Majority of these are children who have prior been immunized.

Three to five patients occupy a single bed and many others remain on the floor.

MPs now say the state of the hospital must be included in the report to the NRM caucus meeting expected on April 21.

Jinja Referral Hospital was constructed in 1930 to serve Busoga region and the far East.