According to Emmanuel Ainebyoona, the Ministry of Health spokesperson, the ministry is still investigating stool and blood samples obtained from eight patients admitted at Naguru hospital.

He admits that the preliminary results show two of the cases were suffering from cholera pending confirmatory tests by the Central Public Health Laboratories (CPHL). 

Eight patients were Naguru from Kabowa in Rubaga division after they presented cholera like symptoms of diarrhea and vomiting.

“We have admitted them in the isolation ward and so far, they are stable and responding to treatment.”
Naguru hospital executive director Dr Emmanuel Batibwe said

Cholera is an infection of the small intestine by some strains of the bacterium Vibrio cholerae. Symptoms may range from none, to mild, to severe. The classic symptom is large amounts of watery diarrhea that lasts a few days. Vomiting and muscle cramps may also occur.(wikipedia)

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This happened yesterday during the commemoration of the international maternal health day under a theme: “Rights Based Approach to Maternal Health in Uganda.”

During the dialogue, preventable maternal issues such as bleeding, infections obstructed labor, unsafe abortion and hypertensive diseases as key at claiming the mothers’ lives at the time of giving birth were discussed.

The activists also used the opportunity to remind government to prioritize the  budget allocation of the health ministry, avoid wasteful expenditures and avail maternal health commodities and services in hospitals.

The civil society used the same opportunity to petition parliament to demand for accountability from government on how far they have gone to institute measures to address the maternal mortality in Uganda as passed in a resolution passed in parliament in 2011.

Prof. Ben Twinomugisha, the chairman board of Directors at center for Health Human Rights and Development (CEHURD) urges.

MPs including Monica Amoding of Kumi district, Aagon Silas of Kumi municipality, Herbert Kinobere among others noted the laxity in supervision of government hospitals, the hiked costs of delivery, motivation of midwives among others which all  leaves a gap in service delivery hence risking the lives of mothers.

In a related development the District Health Officer at  Kyankwanzi District, Dr. Serebe John Bosco attributes the poor health services to the pregnant mothers to the attitude by the health workers, midwives in particular.

Serebe noted that though challenges that limit good service delivery to the mothers exist, mid wives too need to check the care they give these expectant mothers.

He said that although most of the midwives have skills, they have continued to act desperately when attending to mothers hence in the process, some lose their lives.

In her response, Mary Adong, a mid-wife at Mulago Hospital-Kawempe branch decried the workload midwives face which,in most cases, leads to their loss of composure in front of patients.  She thus called upon government to recruit reasonable number of mid wives to help in the noble cause of saving lives of mothers.

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The statistics released by George Kawage, a senior statistician with Uganda Bureau of Statistics, during the dissemination seminar of findings from the Uganda Demographic and health services survey for Kigezi region held at White Horse Inn Hotel in Kabale Municipality.

The survey also indicated that in Kigezi region, 14 percent of women give birth from private health facilities, 56percent opt for public health facilities as only one percent give birth from other unidentified places.

The 2016 Uganda Demographic and health services survey is the 6th conducted in the country since 1988 as part of the Demographic health survey program. The survey is designed to provide estimates at the national level,Urban and rural areas in each of the 15 regions in the country.

Dr. Asaph Byamugisha a medical officer with Rukungiri district local government condemned the practice of some women giving birth from their homes and described the practice as unfortunate.

Byamugisha said that delivering from homes puts mothers at risks of heavy bleeding, retaining of the placenta which can in turn lead to loss of life. He added the practice also increases the risks of HIV spread to newly born babies.

Byamugisha advised women in the region to always embrace delivering from health facilities for their well being and for the well being being of their babies and families in general.

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The poor state of Iganga hospital

The Health committee also recommends for increase of health workers lunch allowances. The MPs observed that since 1996, health workers continue to receive 66,000 and 44,000 shillings for Doctors and nurses respectively as
their monthly lunch allowances yet the cost of living and inflation has gone up.
The committee members recommended that lunch allowance for nurses, Doctors and other health workers be revised to 288,000 shillings to cater lunch at a unit cost of 12,000 shillings.

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Officiating at the launch of the two guidelines in Kampala today, the health minister reminds the health practitioners that these guidelines are fully and clearly prescribing the basic treatment a health worker should use while proving health care to a patient which adds on to their already acquired knowledge from medical school and cautions them not to shelve the guidelines.

Dr. Ruth Aceng

The assistant commission pharmacy in the health ministry, Dr.Seru Morris adds that the two guidelines are having new disease guides which were not included in the old edition among them being, TB, Diabetes, Sickle cells, Monopoles, prostate, nutrition, nodding disease among other non communicable diseases and their respective treatment guidelines and at which health center levels.

But the end users of these guidelines at the respective health facilities now recommend that govt ensures that the information in the guidelines is well disseminated to health workers and officers across the country for effective use if health service provision is to improve,explains Ivan Kamya. 

The two guidelines which are to be distributed to govt and private health facilities, training schools, respective health practitioners associations are geared towards promoting high quality health care by guiding health medicine supplies, equipment supplies as used for treatment.

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However, how many of these promises embeded in the manifestos are directed to the young children of the country? Kenya’s child population (0-14 year olds) is 43% of the total population; this is one of the largest demographics in the country. A large population of children (0-14) signifies high child dependency and the need to invest in child and maternal health as well as education opportunities. With this in mind it is therefore imperative to find out what the candidates have planned for the nation’s children.

Jubilee Manifesto                                                              

Jubilee Manifesto Launch

Jubilee’s vision is: A united Kenya in which wealth is created and prosperity is shared amongst all citizens; A fast-growing economy that leaves no one behind; A Kenya for all Kenyans by Kenyans; An accountable, professional and efficient government; and An influential regional power at peace with itself and its neighbours.

“Kenya has immense potential for growth, modernisation and prosperity. Growth that leaves no one behind; modernisation that secures our future for generations to come; and a prosperity that we can all share and enjoy” President Uhuru Kenyata’s address at the Manifesto launch

The manifesto noted ten points the party will work on. Out of these the promises concerning Early Childhood Development are point four and six which state:

• Expand the free primary school programme to now include free day public secondary schools in Kenya.
• Expand free maternity care to include government funded NHIF cover for every expectant mother for one year.

In the small print the manifesto further notes that it would:

Extend the “Linda Mama” programmes to a total of one year to cover both ante-natal and post-natal care and reduce maternal and child mortality rates.

Work towards achieving a 100% transition from primary to secondary school by providing free education in all public primary and public day secondary schools.

Maintain momentum in upgrading slums by providing clean water and sanitation, access roads, street lights, schools and health centres as well as income generating activities. This will help improve the lives of 4 million people living and working in slums.

Find the full manifesto here jpmanifesto2017

NASA Manifesto

NASA Manifesto Launch

NASA fronted a seven pillar vision and policy platform which the manifesto then translates into a programme of action. The vision and policy platform address:

• National reconciliation and healing
• Resolving all historical injustices
• Refining the constitution to strengthen devolution
• Transforming government from master to servant of the people
• Realizing the equality principles and goals entrenched in Article 27 of the Constitution
• Realizing social and economic rights as enshrined in Article 43 of the Constitution
• Eradicating poverty and unemployment

“…the manifesto is decidedly ideological and bold, at once pragmatic, alive to challenges of implementing social transformation, but uncompromising on principles and values. It is a manifesto for fundamental change”

Concerning early childhood development the manifesto includes:

Mainstreaming constitutional education in the school curriculum.

Progressively expanding income transfer programmes (presently limited to the elderly and households with orphans and vulnerable children (OVC)) to the critically food poor.

Establishing a National Universal Health Service Fund to be funded by the public budget for curative heath services and a minimal basic health insuarance contribution by citizens.

Delegating school infrastructure to the Counties- giving conditional grants.

Arresting high school dropout rate; expanding secondary school infrastructure; and expanding teacher training capacity hence making the primary school examinations (KPCE) redundant since every child will be assured a place.

Find the full manifesto here Nasa-Coalition-Manifesto

All in all

Although a discussion could be held on who represents the children’s issues best, these two powerhouses did not ignore the 43 per cent but included them in their manifestos and made commitments to the children of Kenya. Whichever of these parties does take the election, we will be watching and lobbying for these implementations.

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The second of the Sustainable Development Goal developed in 2015 aims to end hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition and promote sustainable agriculture by 2030. The Global Hunger Index combined the four component indicators of Undernourishment; Child wasting; Child stunting; and Child mortality to come up with accurate conclusions on hunger.

Countries’ hunger levels were rated as Low, Moderate, Serious, Alarming, and Extremely Alarming. Hunger levels were found still serious or alarming in 50 countries the highest of which are found in Africa south of the Sahara and South Asia. Highest hunger levels were found in Central African Republic (with a score of 46.1) followed by Chad (44.3); lowest hunger levels were found in Argentina (<5) followed by Bosnia and Herzegovina (<5). The regional countries of Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania and Rwanda were rated Serious with Tanzania having the highest levels scoring at 28.4. Rwanda was at 27.4, Uganda 26.4 and the least being Kenya with 21.9.

The report notes that the decline in hunger must accelerate in these regions if the world is to achieve Zero Hunger by 2030.

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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.

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HIV/AIDS Testing kit

A new report shows that youth demand for the lowering of the age consent for HIV/AIDS testing for the young generation. This was revealed by the young people in the base line survey conducted in Luwero and Nakasongola districts by the community health Alliance Uganda on top of other districts in Buganda and Busoga  under the project known as Linkup project funded by the embassy of Netherlands in Uganda focusing on the reproductive health, rights and HIV integration among the young people.

The youth in the report said that the consent age for HIV/AIDS testing should move from 18 years to 12 years to accommodate many of the young generation since some of them could be getting this disease at early age.
The head of the project evaluation Prof. Narathius Asingirwire while releasing this report at imperial Royale hotel in Kampala said that there should be scale up of advocacy interventions that that focus on access to services among young vulnerable people which include availing space for youth corners in most of the health facilities to enable them freely test for Sexually transmitted infections (STIs).

The report shows that 95% of the youth in districts of Nakasongola, Luwero, Kampala, Wakiso, Jinja, Mukono, Kayunga, Kamuli, Mayuge, Namutumba and Bugiri now know the availability of HIV/AIDS testing services within their communities and 80% reported using condoms to avoid STIs. The survey covered 0ver 3000 young people in 11 districts carried on Bodaboda riders, female sex workers, Trucker drivers, fishing community, teenage mothers among others.

The Acting Director  General of Health service Dr.Anthony Mbonye said that the ministry of health will work with development partners to mobilize communities for better seeking practices for illnesses and diseases.

The Netherlands Ambassador to Uganda Alphons Hennekens said that his country will continue invest much in realization of sexual and reproductive health supplies including promoting health rights and HIV/AIDS prevention among young people.

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The speaker demanded for recruitment of more midwives for health units since there is a shortage of medical workers in the country. In addition she requested the ministry of health to always inform members of parliament on the funds sent to health facilities in their constituencies so as there is close supervision.

The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) country representative to Uganda Miranda Tabifor  while addressing the members of parliament  on family planning issues at Imperial Royale hotel in Kampala urged them to find a solution to the low use of modern contraceptive whereby many women fear side effects and opposition from their partners. Tabifor called on parliament to advocate for additional allocation and expenditure and laws  for implementation of the family planning programmes so as the family planning uptake challenge is addressed.

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