Uganda News

24th November 2008. The First Lady of Uganda Hon Janet Museveni launched Uganda’s Roadmap to accelerate reduction of maternal and neonatal mortality and morbidity calling on all partners and stakeholders to play their role in its implementation. The launch took place during the commemoration of the Safe Motherhood Day for 2008 held in Buwama, Mpigi district.

24th November 2008. The Minister of State for Health Dr Emmanuel Otaala has called for strong cross-border surveillance for Guinea Worm disease saying it is one of the sure ways to eradicate the diseases. Speaking at the opening ceremony for the Inter-regional meeting for Guinea Warm eradication programmes held at Imperial Royale Hotel in Kampala, Dr Otaala said that “we cannot achieve eradication working as individual countries – we need to work as a group.”

Over the years, WHO has supported government strengthen maternal and child health services through a number of activities like immunization, Safe Motherhood, and implementation of the Integrated Management of Childhood Illnesses (IMCI). 

Immunization programmes, started in 1983. At that time, measles was the leading cause of death among children. By 1987, after countrywide immunization against all childhood immunizable diseases, measles ceased to be an important cause of mortality in children and likewise the other diseases were reduced significantly.

WHO provides the government of Uganda technical assistance for management of national health programmes (primary health care, malaria, tuberculosis, AIDS, onchocerciasis, epidemiological surveillance, control and elimination of specific community diseases). Technical assistance has taken the form of training, consultants, equipment, and vehicles. In some situations WHO provides drugs.

The decentralization of health services and programmes to district level has been actively supported by WHO. This has involved capacity building at district and community level, monitoring and evaluation programmes and provision of health learning materials to districts. 

WHO has supported the Ministry of Health, District Health Teams and other local and international organisations to mitigate the health impact of the conflict in northern Uganda. More support has been in the area of disease outbreaks i.e. Ebola in Gulu and Bundibugyo districts; Marburg in Kamwenge district; Meningitis in Arua district; Cholera in several parts of the country; and health care delivery to the flood affected districts in eastern Uganda.

Dr. Sam Zaramba the Director General of Health Services represents Uganda on the Executive Board of World Health Organisation in Geneva Switzerland

Dr. Sam Zaramba has been appointed as Chairperson of the Executive Board of the World Health Organisation for the years 2009 and 2010.

Avril 2008. The Executive Board is composed of 34 countries represented by persons who are technically qualified in the field designated by the Member States that have been elected to serve the World Health Assembly States.

The WHO Representative for Uganda Dr Joaquim Saweka paid a two-days working visit to Soroti district, Eastern Uganda to check on the implementation of the Making Pregnancy Safer (MPS) project that was initiated by WHO and the Ministry of Health.

The WHO Representative for Uganda Dr Joaquim Saweka (middle) and the Minister of Health Dr Stephen Mallinga (far right) addressing a press conference on the joint response plan to the polio outbreak in Uganda.

Download press conference here: Polio case confirmed in Uganda - Government prepares urgent massive response

When cases of Marburg haemorrhagic fever were recently identified in a remote mining area in western Uganda, WHO and the Ugandan Ministry of Health immediately began an intense surveillance and response effort. They were supported by scientists and medical experts from the Uganda Virology Research Institute (UVRI), the National Institute of Communicable Diseases (NICD) in South Africa and the US-based Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)