As a result of being associated with blood clots, several European countries have halted the use of the said vaccines. However, in light of the limited supply of the vaccines, the World Health Organisation country representative to Uganda, Dr Yonas Woldermariam has called upon the government not to take the same route.
Dr. Tonny Odung, the Alebtong District Health Officer blamed the poor uptake of the vaccine on people spreading negative information about the AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine that is being used. He has asked the targeted frontline workers to disregard all the misinformation, saying the vaccine is safe.
According to the minister of health, the bill which was passed does not address concerns raised by stakeholders. She says the bill needed to be withdrawn and revised so that concerns relating to who contributes to the scheme and collects monies are addressed
When URN visited the Makerere University hospital based vaccination center on Wednesday, they had already depleted their doses and were only now entering complete data before they could open up for a new target audience.
Viral load testing according to experts is crucial in the treatment of HIV as it helps in making treatment decisions which in the end help the patient to suppress the virus and improve their quality of life.
In March, the district health department was the first to receive 3,000 dozes of the AstraZenica vaccine from the Ministry of Health targeting 486 registered health workers but only 10 of them have been vaccinated since then.
Dr. Racheal Beyagira, the Technical Officer on Hepatitis in the Ministry says the 5.6 million accounts for 35% of their target, adding that over 40% of those tested came out positive.
Jackline Atim, a resident of Lorikor West in Elegu town council says the drivers and residents were freely mixing and interacting without observing the standard operating procedures aimed at fighting the spread of COVID-19 which includes face mask wearing, social distancing and hand washing among others.
Dr. Daniel Kyabayinze the Deputy Manager of the Malaria Control Programme said generally they found 50% more malaria cases in the community when they gave the high sensitivity test to Village Health Teams (VHTs) than when they used the common tests.
The spraying exercise is part of a five-year USAID-funded project in several districts of Eastern Uganda. It will involve the use of Fludora-Fusion, a new vector control solution that was recently prequalified by the World Health Organisation, after being tested against more than a dozen of resistant mosquito strains in Sub-Saharan Africa. The exercise will last 24 days, effective April 26.
The recommendation was made after a review of 63 cases of reported blood clots that developed moments after receiving the vaccine from several European countries. The majority of the cases were among females below 60 years of age, some aged 24, who developed clots after receiving their first vaccine jab.
The Aduku Town Council Vice Chairperson, Peter Otim, says that the influx of patients has exerted pressure on the facility leading to acute shortage of drugs. He is equally pushing for the upgrade of the said facility.
Mukuzi says doctors have approached the association with complaints that for one to be deployed they need to part with lots of money to facilitate officials in the district and the National Health Service commission.
This is more than double the number of deaths that were reported in the 2018/2019 financial year according to findings published in the National Annual Maternal and Perinatal Death Surveillance and Response Report 2019/2020.
Rubbishing claims that the money couldn’t be accounted for, Atwiine said part of the money will be used to set up hotel structures at border points which will serve as health worker accommodation facilities and that some of the money will be used to construct blood banks in Arua and Soroti districts.
The trend comes amidst calls from health experts urging the public to keep overserving Standard Operation Procedures (SOPs) including wearing of masks amid fears of a second wave of Coronavirus infections.
Four out of every 10 maternal deaths recorded in the country are of teenagers who succumb to abortion-related complications, according to the National Annual Maternal and Perinatal Death Surveillance and Response Report of 2019/2020 compiled by the health ministry.
In May 2018, Alebtong district received Shillings 1 billion from the World Bank for the upgrade of the two Health Center to HCIII's under the Intergovernmental Fiscal Transfer Program for Results- IFTPR, intended to improve health service delivery to the community. The district contracted Otada Holdings Company Limited to undertake the works.
Dr Gatti Brenda Mirembe, the principal investigator on the study says that HIV negative women at high risk of HIV infection will be enrolled on a monthly pill to evaluate its effectiveness and safety in protecting them from acquiring the virus.
