The Makerere University School of Public Health (MakSPH) in collaboration with the Ministry of Health (MoH)-Uganda, World Health Organisation (WHO)-Uganda, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)-Uganda and the African Field Epidemiology Network (AFENET) has organized a Public Dialogue on the Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) scheduled to take place on Friday 13^th March 2020 at the Imperial Royale Hotel, Kampala from 2:00 to 5:00pm.

Theme: COUNTRY PREPAREDNESS TO PREVENT, DETECT AND RESPOND TO THE CORONAVIRUS DISEASE (COVID-19) EPIDEMIC

Objective of the Public Lecture of the Public Lecture:

To contribute to COVID-19 Preparedness in Uganda through;

1. Providing a platform to educate the general public on the strategies the country is implementing to prevent, quickly detect and expediently respond to the COVID-19 global epidemic in Uganda
2. Providing a platform to educate the general public on what they should do and what they should not do to prevent themselves and others from getting infected with the COVID-19 virus
3. Generating potential insights and garnering support from academia and the general public and other key stakeholders to strengthen national preparedness to the COVID-19 global epidemic in Uganda

Speakers will include:

• Minister of Health, Uganda
• World Health Organization Representative to Uganda
• Dean, Makerere UniversitySchool of Public Health

Basic protective measures against the coronavirus:

1. Wash your hands frequently with soap and water or use an alcohol based hand rub.
2. Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth. In addition, cover your mouth and nose with tissue when coughing and sneezing.
3. Maintain a safe distance between yourself and someone who is, sneezing and or coughing (at least 1 meter).
4. If you have a fever, cough and difficulty in breathing, seek medical care immediately.
5. Clean and disinfect frequently touched surfaces such as doorknobs/handles, car doors, elevator buttons etc. daily with regular household disinfectant or soap.
6. All people coming from countries affected by corona virus disease should follow the guidance given by health workers at the airport and other border entry points.

Contact Information:

Doreen Tuhebwe, MakSPH, Email: dtuhebwe[at]musph.ac.ug
Elizabeth Ekirapa, MakSPH, Email: ekky[at]musph.ac.ug
Mr. Atek Kagirita, MoH, Tel: +256-782-909153
Dr. Allan Muruta, MoH, Tel: +256-772-460297

source; http://news.mak.ac.ug/

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The Bibuuza singer in hospital under going treatment. internet photo

Local musician Madinah Nambooze  commonly known as  Hajati Madina the “Bibuuza”singer who was pronounced dead by social media platforms especially whatsapp and Facebook on Monday was diagnosed with a heart complication in Mulago hospital. She needs over 18m for the operation in India.

Hajati Madina has been down with a strange but serious disease for some years now. She has been receiving treatment in Mulago hospital with the financial assistance from people most especially Sylvia Namutebi aka Maama Fiina.

 Andrew Benon Kibuuka the President of Uganda Performing Artists Association (UPPA) clarified that, “As far as I am concerned Hajjat Madina is not dead. She is still alive. I have not yet received any information of the sort from her care takers.”

The bibuza singer was currently discharged from Kiruddu Hospital to reduce the hospital bill as her remaining treatment only has to be done abroad. “She is living somewhere in Rubaga where she is being taken care of by her relatives as we look funds to have her taken to India for further treatment,” Kibuuka added.

Madina is currently seeking financial assistance to undergo surgery in India. Kibuuka says the family needs about Shs18 million to cater for Madina’s treatment abroad. He called on the public to support the cause before it is too late.

Below is a video of her song “Bibuuza.”

The post Hajati Madina still alive, but in critical condition first appeared on Uganda Multimedia News & Information.

This came barely few days after the pan African Parliament resolved to compel African governments where FGM is being practiced to put more emphasis on ending this practice which violating girls rights girls rights .

Kadogo who is also the woman mp for Buyende district says that the Female genital mutilation passed into law in 2009 has failed its implementation for relying on politicians.

She says that the politicians have refused to guide their people to abandon Female genital mutilation practice hence rise in this practice in areas of sebei and karamoja sub region.

Female genital mutilation  is practiced by 1%  of Uganda’s population and among specific ethnic groups namely the Sabiny in Kapchorwa, Bukwo and Kween districts, the Pokot, Tepeth and Kadam in Nakapiripirit and  Amudat district within the Karamoja sub region.

The post Buyende Mp says government should stop relying on politicians to implement controversial laws first appeared on Uganda Multimedia News & Information.

Its always good to find out the cause. It’s important to figure out where your vaginal odor is from. Just because your vagina smells a little bad doesn’t mean you have something serious. It could be caused by your menstrual cycle, sweat, or hormonal changes.

Nevertheless, there could be more serious reasons for vaginal odor such as yeast infections, gonorrhea, bacterial vaginosis, STI’s, or overall poor hygiene. If your vaginal odor isn’t going away after a few days, that’s when you should be taking it seriously.

Don’t be deceived by anyone, there are very many symptoms of vaginal odor. The human body is a magnificent thing. If you’re not sure if you’re experiencing vaginal odor, look at the symptoms: itchiness around the vagina, redness, and a fishy smell. These are usually accompanied by vaginal odor. But again sometimes the odor can be caused by laundry detergent on your underwear or perfume products you’ve been using. So you need to pay a clear attention to the little things that happen to you.

You should also always remember to stay hydrated, this is because if your body dehydrates, it’s unable to flush out the toxins in your body. Drink eight to ten glasses of water a day to make sure your body is properly hydrated. Sometimes, vaginal odor can be caused by excess sugar in the body and water helps remove sugar. The most important part is you need to always keep up with your hygiene.

Maybe your vaginal odor is just because you need a shower. It can really be that simple. If it’s hot outside, I know, you’re to lazy to shower, but think about your vagina. So, the best way to maintain vaginal health is to make sure it’s clean. You don’t need any fancy shower gels or perfumes, just soap and water. Use tea tree oil, i know that tea tree oil smells incredibly strong. However, this is the gem of all gems.

Tea tree oil is an anti-fungal and antibacterial, so if you’re looking for a great remedy, this is one of them. Pour two teaspoons into a glass of water. Now, soak a tampon in the mixture and place it into your vagina. Keep it in there for a couple minutes. If you’re going to shower, do this an hour before. Repeat this for a week. You’ll be good to go.

You can also use garlic. Combat a smelly vagina with smelly garlic. Not a lot of people know the power of garlic, but now let me tell you, it works. Garlic’s a great anti-bacterial. Make fresh garlic paste by crushing a couple cloves. Then apply the paste to your vaginal walls. Keep it on your vaginal walls for about 10 minutes. Have a bath after you’re finished with the garlic paste. If your vaginal odor is caused by a bacteria, this certainly kills it.

You can also use apple cider vinegar. Not only for for salads, you can use it for your vagina. Now, you’ll never look at salads the same way. You want to make a bath with half a cup of apple cider vinegar mixed in. Sit for 10-15 minutes. Apple cider vinegar helps balance the vagina’s pH levels, which helps to eliminate the odor.

Yogurt is also one of those things that can be used. One of the tastier remedies, I must say. If you love yogurt, then you’ll love this one. Yogurt helps control the pH levels in the vagina which helps control the odor. You can eat the yogurt and you can also soak a tampon in yogurt and then insert it, keeping it in your vagina for five minutes. Then rinse the vagina after, do this for a week.

Citrus fruits also help you decrease or prevent vaginal odor. You will need to keep up with your citrus food intake. This means, lemons, oranges, grapefruits, pineapples. They’re all high in vitamin C and help strengthen your immune system, helping to fight vaginal odor.

You should also avoid certain things. If you’re suffering from vaginal odors, then do not go and eat foods that will only make it worse. But, what foods are bad, you ask? Well, stay away from anything spicy, blue cheese, onion, cabbage, and broccoli. It’s been shown these foods enhance the smell of the vagina. So, while you’re getting rid of your vaginal odor, leave these foods out of your diet. Oh, and stay away from fish and meat. It doesn’t help either.

You can also drink turmeric. Turmeric is an amazing spice for its anti-microbial and anti-inflammatory properties. Use it in a tablet form, or I recommend taking a teaspoon of it and mixing it into a glass of milk. Drink it before you go to bed, and it’ll do the rest of the work for you. You should also avoid having sex during that time. If you’re having an issue with vaginal odor at the moment and aren’t sure why, then don’t have sex. It’s best to give your vagina a break. Honestly, don’t torture the person having sex with you. Wait a week, let your vagina heal and then you get back on the horse. If all these fail to work for you know when to see a doctor. If you’ve tried the remedies and nothing seems to be working, you may need antibiotics, depending on what is causing it. Give it a week, and if it gets worse then go to your doctor. They’ll be able to diagnose you and give you something that’s stronger. Sometimes, we have smelly vaginas. It happens all of us. All you need to do is recognize it and use one of these remedies to get rid of vaginal odor. You’ll be brand new in no time. Remember to take very good care of your health.

The post Health Tips: How to get rid of vaginal odor first appeared on Uganda Multimedia News & Information.

The world of healthy living starts with healthy eating. If you are willing to make a few small changes in your diet then you will be able to shed all those extra pounds.

Therefor here are some 10 ways that can help you choose a healthy living lifestyle by making small changes in your diet to help you loose weight.

Do not skip breakfast

If you are skipping your breakfast for the sake of losing weight then you need to really think again. Not having your breakfast actually intensifies your hunger. You will end up wanting more food than usual in your next meal. Follow a method of having the same meals every single day. Repeating the same meal helps you lose all those extra pounds. Your body also adapts more easily with the same nutrition that you are having. Include nuts and fruits like banana in your breakfast diet regime. So please remember not to skip your breakfast tomorrow.

Do some sit ups during commercials

When you are on a diet you need to at least help yourself.  Next time when you are watching your favorite show, keep the remote far from the reach of your hand. Next step is taking the time off during the commercial hours to do some more stretching. Do whatever that would make you feel light like simply skipping, dancing, or even moving up and down the stairs. Keep on pushing yourself until you run out of breath.

Learning how to say no to fatty food will also help you.

We all know the irresistible factor of all the creamy delicious foods we see at the bakeries. It is a bit tough to get rid of our sweet carvings instantly, but it is not altogether impossible. List your favorite food items and mark those items that you possibly cannot stay without. Now cut down one food item short of the list.

That way, week after week you will be able to cut down in your cravings one at a time. Your body will also be able to cope up with the changes. Now start including fruits, vegetables in your diet. Start slow and you will notice the difference soon enough.

Take the stairs

Most of us get too lazy to take the stairs. All thanks to the wonders of technology. Next time skip the lift if you seriously looking to lose weight. Take the stairs. You should at least be climbing stairs for two to three minutes every single day. It miraculously helps in losing more pounds than you could ever expect.

Walk as much as you can

Next time when you are on your shopping therapy do make sure to take walks alongside. Do this simple trick next time you go out. Do not park your car in the usual parking lot. Instead park it a mile away from where you are headed to. That way when you are getting back, you will get to walk that extra mile, sweat it out and lose some pounds.

Enjoy every bite

Enjoying and savoring every bit of what you eat curbs your hunger. When you sit down to eat do not gobble down you food. Instead start with a small bite and chew it down slowly taking your time. When you take the time to enjoy every bite, you tend to feel more satisfied and filled. Doing this routine won’t let you reach out for more food; instead you will be happy and contented.

Include fruits in your diet.

All the dieticians will ask you to include fruits in your diet and why not? Fruits are wholesome and healthy. Having fruits daily will not only improve your skin texture but will also keep your stomach and brain engaged. Including fruits in your diet and having it in small portions throughout the day will help you stay energized as well. Eating the fruits will keep you satisfied for longer hours.

Drink lots of water

Everybody knows the essentials of drinking water. It’s been tried and tested over the years that drink two cups of water before you start eating your meal will help you lose weight. It tricks your stomach into believing that your stomach is full and making you eat lesser than usual. So drink more water and stay healthy.

Treat yourself sometimes

Dieting does not mean starving yourself to death. Everyone is entitled to let their guilty take over them once in a while. Treating yourself to small treats once in a while won’t harm you. Just remember to keep certain limitations for the treats. Try to include food items that have not more than 150 calories.

Include fish in your diet

Having fish is very healthy. Skip the red meat and instead opt for fish. It is filled with Omega-3 properties that helps in boosting one’s memory and fight against inflammation in the body. It keeps you not only light but also keeps you satisfied for long hours together.

These are some of the few small changes that you can make in order to help you lose weight gradually . Small contributions each day makes up for greater changes, so take small steps every that will help you yield great results tomorrow.

The post The 10 simple changes which can be made that can help you lose weight. first appeared on Uganda Multimedia News & Information.

If you are one of those women too who are finding it really hard to lose weight, then this is the right article for you. We have delved into some of the common reasons why we find it a little harder to get rid of those extra pounds.

Sometimes women go overboard with healthy food

We all know that they key to losing weight is in simple mathematics. If you are burning more calories than what you are consuming, you will be losing those pounds. In order to achieve that goal, most of us start eating healthy. when you start to eat very healthy food with out controlling the portion, you will not lose weight.

All those nuts and avocados are no doubt filled with good fats but not controlling the portion size will actually lead to more troubles. Concentrate on the serving sizes to ensure that you are having the right amount of calories.

You have a sluggish thyroid

Many of you are blissfully unaware that you might have an under active thyroid (hypothyroidism). When this happens, it will severely disrupt your metabolism and you may find it much harder to lose weight. There might be other associated problems too like fatigue and hair loss and the best treatment would be to get your thyroid fixed. It becomes much easier to regulate weight once that is done.

PCOS(Polycystic Ovary Syndrome) might be wreaking havoc with your system

Another one of the common problems that most women suffer from but are unaware of, PCOS creates havoc with your hormones and there is a prevalence of male hormones in your system. As such, you might gain weight suddenly and might find it harder to get rid of. Consult your doctor when you see male pattern balding, or you might feel that you are getting a lot of acne and there is inexplicable weight gain. It might be an onset of PCOS.

You are not sleeping enough

The key to losing weight in a healthy fashion is to get enough sleep. If you are exercising a lot, your muscles need a lot of recovery time. As such, you need sleep for at least 8 hours for proper recovery. Even in case of non-exercising adults, a good night’s sleep is essential and crucial for the proper functioning of the body.

Some of your medication can also be blamed

Any kind of pills that we have might have a side effect for example family planning medication and as such, we may end up gaining weight. Certain allergies which require steroids might lead to unnecessary weight gain. In such a case, you should go visit your doctor and ask them for another medicine which can be an alternative to your prescribed one. If not, you will have to be extra careful of what you are eating and the amount of exercise you get each day.

Skipping breakfast

The cardinal sin when it comes to not losing weight is skipping breakfast. They say that the heaviest meal of the day should be your breakfast because this is how the body fuels and prepares itself for the day. To jumpstart your metabolism, it is essential that you get the right amount of breakfast. Many studies have in fact found that people who have breakfast regularly are the ones who lose weight.

Now, if you are wondering why as a woman you are finding it hard to lose weight, then you may be guilty of the above reasons! Make sure you follow a healthy diet and a right kind of lifestyle for being your fittest self.

The post Reasons why most women struggle to lose weight first appeared on Uganda Multimedia News & Information.

So why do some people sweat too much? Well, if you sweat excessively, you could be suffering from Hyperhidrosis. It is characterized by excessive sweating of the palms and soles of the feet. It occurs when the sympathetic nervous system gets overactive and creates more sweat than required by the body.

Drink a lot of water. Water helps keep your body cool as well as helps flush out toxins and cool down your temperature which will always help you reduce sweating.

Always take a cold shower. Hot shower or baths do not really help with excessive sweating. Have you ever noticed that as soon as you step out of a hot shower, your body starts perspiring and sweating? Well this could be because of an immediate change in temperature from hot to cold. So always have a refreshing cold shower.

Use a strong antibacterial soap. If you sweat excessively, then the stinky smell that comes is a result of bacteria that rot and fester in your underarm and other regions. Using an antibacterial soap on a regular basis, especially after your workouts, should help with this problem.

Keep your underarms shaved or waxed. Keeping your underarms hairless will help the sweat to evaporate much faster. Also, when there is a lot of hair, it provides the perfect atmosphere for the bacteria to thrive, resulting in a foul smell.

Wear cotton clothing as much as possible. Letting your skin breathe well will reduce sweating to a great extent. So wear cotton clothing, especially during hot days can help you reduce sweating.

Always keep a change of clothes handy. Even if you are a guy, if you know your body tends to sweat a lot makes sense to have an extra set of clothes ready for some unforeseen instances. Keep it in your backpack , your laptop bag or even at office. If you feel like you are having a particularly bad day, you can change into your fresh set of clothes. This will help you keep your confidence and go through your day without having to worry about sweat stains.

Make use of over the counter sweat absorbent pads. You can place them under your arms and in other such danger zones to absorb the excess sweat. They can always be found in any supermarket around town.

Exercise to lower your body-mass index (BMI). If you have more mass on your body, your body will sweat more to keep itself cool. If you’re really struggling with underarm sweat, it may be something you can remedy by incorporating cardiovascular exercise into your routine and losing some weight. Get all your sweating out with exercise.

You may be wondering why I haven’t listed the more obvious solutions—deodorants and antiperspirants. While I agree that they are good fixes, always remember that they are always temporary and do not really help you in the long run. In fact, they can darken your skin and even cause irritation and rashes. They don’t deal with the problem, but rather they only mask it. So while you can go in for extra-strong deodorants, they cannot be your end solution to fight excessive sweating.

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Varying reasons are given by different mothers as to why they don’t breastfeed their babies:

Demand at work: With the little usual three months maternity leave given by most work places, mothers sometimes have no choice but go back to work after being with their babies for only a few months. This leaves mothers to leave babies home to be fed on baby formula or some of them resort to breast pumping their milk and storing it in refrigerators.

Inadequate lactation: Some mothers fail to breastfeed because they lack milk in their breasts. For most working mothers, when they resume work they have no time to eat or breastfeed. This makes their bodies to stop producing enough milk to feed their babies since their bodies have started to adjust to the routine.

Biting babies: Some mothers have stopped breast feeding their babies due to the fact that these babies have started to bite. Imagine placing your beautiful baby on the breast and she/he just bites you. The older they get the more tricks these babies bring. One of the mothers confessed   that “when my baby turned 4months, he started biting my nipples. He did this three times which made me put him on baby formula since my breasts had wounds” Says Maurine.

Health conditions: Some mothers have been advised by doctors not to breast feed due to some health conditions like if a mother is HIV positive. The world health organization (WHO) recommends that when HIV positive mother breastfeed, they should receive ARVs and follow WHO guidelines for infant feeding. Other diseases that stop mothers range from tuberculosis, cancer and malaria.

Sagging breasts: Most women believe that breastfeeding makes their breasts sag. Just like today’s generation wants to stay top notch they don’t want to have bad boobs. This makes them hate to breast their little babies. They also complain that when their breasts are breastfeeding their men don’t want to be with them which affects their love making.

Lifestyle: Some mothers don’t want to breast feed because it will change their lifestyle. Bottle feeding leaves new mothers without an option to stay on their diets, food and medications they use. So in order to stay fit or go back to their workout routines they stop breastfeeding.

Unplanned child: Some mothers have had unplanned children, for example if one wants a baby boy and she gives birth to a girl. Some mothers will hate these babies and wish they didn’t give birth to them. This makes them even deny them food/ breast milk.

What do we need to do?

In order to promote breastfeeding and provide good health and nutrition to the child, we need to address the work related challenges of mothers through supporting them with breastfeeding rooms at their work places where they can have breaks to go feed their babies. Or increase on mothers maternity leave to allow them more time with their babies.

Mothers should also feed well in order to increase milk production so that they produce enough milk to feed their babies whenever they need it. They should eat healthy and this means eating a balanced diet. They also should not have stress because stress decreases milk production.

Midwives and doctors should continue doing what they have been doing by continuing to push these mothers to breastfeed their babies other than paying some other person to look after their new born babies

RELATED: 

Ugandan mothers have poor breastfeeding habits-say nutrition experts

The post Why today’s mothers fail to breast feed their babies? first appeared on Uganda Multimedia News & Information.

Nutrition experts warn that the continued the feeding of children and pregnant mothers with none nutritional foods will impact negatively on the country’s economy and health living of the population. The nutrition specialist at Jinja regional hospital, Toko Mansuru says  that most Ugandans have failed to provide their children and themselves with nutritious foods but instead opt to feed on foods that they come across which has caused malnutrition among most Ugandan children. He says that foods which are not with nutrition  developed  severe conditions like acute malnutrition thus resulting into serious deficiencies among them being diabetes, high blood pressure and obesity for those who are over fed, cancers among other diseases which are expensive to treat at health facilities.

Meanwhile, Alex Kisembo the marketing director, RECO industries, a company that manufactures fortified foods which are given to persons who are malnourished says that its better for Ugandans to always feed on a balanced diet than just eating for the sake of getting satisfied. Kisembo adds  that to avoid such  conditions they should eat fortified foods so as they do not spend over three months in hospital. He further calls for a combined effort and strategies from all government  departments and agencies to expeditiously address the issue of malnutrition among Ugandan children if this burden is to be solved.

The post Children and pregnant women facing mulnutrition first appeared on Uganda Multimedia News & Information.

She says that many girls have failed to complete their studies making the number of girls dropping out of school to go up.She proposes that there should be a private initiative of making local sanitary pads for women, pledging to give support to any person with such creativity so as girls access them at a low price.

The president while campaigning for presidency, promised to avail sanitary towels to girls in schools so as they stay in schools.

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