From us,

• HEPS-UGANDA @25 participated in the Resilience Action Network Africa (RANA)  Uganda working group meeting hosted by AHF Uganda Cares, where we built on our progress so far and focused on mapping advocacy opportunities for 2025. We identified key entry points for influence and emphasized fostering collaboration with our partners. Additionally, we reflected on our achievements, assessed challenges, and co-created strategies to strengthen resilience-focused advocacy in Uganda and the surrounding border regions.

• HEPS-UGANDA @25 participated in the 3-day (26 to 28 February) activity together with the Antimicrobial Resistant (AMR) parliamentary team that included national VVIPs in site visits and inspections of facilities and AMR surveillance for both human and Animal health in the capability of bioarms innovations in Northern in districts of Lira, Gulu and Arua, and Western Uganda in the districts of Masaka, Mbarara, and Kabale 

 

From our partners:

• World Health Organisation(WHO). The World Health Organization held an informational meeting on the formulation of influenza virus vaccines for the 2025-2026 Northern Hemisphere flu season. Representatives from vaccine regulatory agencies, influenza vaccine manufacturers, and WHO Global Influenza Surveillance and Response System (GISRS) members were invited to participate.

• Centre for Human Rights and Development (CEHURD).On February 25 CEHURD facilitated a discussion with key stakeholders to engage the Uganda Law Reform Commission, the Uganda Human Rights Commission, and other duty bearers on revising regressive laws to create a more supportive environment for access to HIV and TB services, as well as gender justice, CEHURD also conducts bi-annual advocacy engagements with the Law Reform Commission to push for necessary legislative reforms. Through this strategic approach, the organization aims to provide evidence-based recommendations that guide the development or amendment of laws, ultimately enhancing protections for affected individuals and communities while promoting broader human rights.

• Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR): Two teams from the Parliamentary Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) Forum had a 3-day activity (26 to 28 February) where the teams travelled to northern and western Uganda. The objective of these visits was to assess AMR surveillance sites for both human and animal health. In northern Uganda, the teams visited the districts of Lira, Gulu, and Arua, while in western Uganda, they visited  sites in Masaka, Mbarara, and Kabale

• AVAC vs United States Department of State: On February 25, A federal judge gave the Trump administration less than two days to release billions of dollars in U.S. foreign aid, saying the administration had given no sign of complying with his nearly two-week-old court order to ease its funding freeze.

• Makerere School of Public Health hosted a webinar themed “Kampala Car-Free Day”; Promoting Sustainability & Inclusivity in the City, on Thursday, 27th February 2025, the purpose was to examine the initiative’s role in reducing pollution, promoting active mobility, & urban health.

From your community

• Kyotera struggles to contain Monkeypox outbreak, targets sex workers. Health authorities in Kyotera district are grappling with the spread of Monkeypox, which is reportedly exacerbated by the activities of commercial sex workers. Joseph Giriman, the District Surveillance Focal Person, noted that the disease is predominantly affecting commercial sex workers in the town councils of Kalisizo, Kyotera, Kakuuto, and Mutukula. He further attributed the rapid spread of the disease to a lack of awareness and regular sensitization campaigns.

• Health officials struggle to contain brucellosis in Karamoja. Health officials in the Karamoja sub-region are struggling to treat and contain the spread of brucellosis, a zoonotic disease that affects both humans and livestock. The disease poses a serious threat to public health and economic stability in the predominantly pastoralist community, where livestock rearing is the main source of livelihood.

From Uganda

• Safe Love Campaign: Reach A Hand Uganda offers free sexual, and reproductive health services  To improve access to information and services on Sexual and Reproductive Health Services for young people, Reach A Hand Uganda (RAHU)  is actively providing free sexual and reproductive health services to residents in various communities as part of its ongoing Safe Love campaign. The initiative aims to equip the youth with vital information and services on  HIV testing, contraceptive education, and safe sex awareness.

• Uganda wants stronger partnerships to tackle Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs). Dr Diana Atwine, the Permanent Secretary of the Uganda Ministry of Health, has called for stronger partnerships in addressing the growing burden of non-communicable diseases (NCDs).

•  Clerics call for increased govt funding in HIV fight after aid halt. A section of religious leaders in Uganda cautioned the government, urging it to decrease its reliance on foreign funding in the fight against HIV/AIDS. Rev Canon Gideon Byamugisha, speaking on behalf of the Friends of Canon Foundation, emphasized the risks of relying on foreign funding. he warned, “Ending AIDS by 2030 will only remain on paper as most people living with HIV/AIDS may progress to AIDS if medication and the support system are not restored.”

• Government embraces community health system, The Government has embarked on an innovative approach to preventing disease through the empowerment of community health extension (CHEWS), The aim is to establish a strong community health system through training, equipping the CHEWS with the knowledge and skills to look out for symptoms or danger signs in the community. 

 

From the region

• Samia stresses quality healthcare. President Samia Suluhu Hassan has reiterated the government’s commitment to prioritising the health sector, recognising that good health is essential for every aspect of life. She stressed the government’s resolve to protect citizens from diseases and, when necessary, provide them with accessible, reliable, and quality healthcare services.

• Regional Networks to Strengthen Africa’s Vaccine and Health Products Manufacturing Workforce In a move to accelerate Africa’s capacity to produce its own vaccines and other health products, the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) has established Regional Capability and Capacity Networks (RCCNs) to drive skills development, workforce training and R&D.

Global health security

• Texas Measles outbreak reaches 90, mostly Unvaccinated. A measles outbreak that started in northwest Texas last month has now infected 90 people, most of whom were unvaccinated. At least 77 of the cases are children, 10 are adults, and data is unavailable for the remaining three.

• Experts are extremely concerned as a mystery illness has killed 53 people just days after feeling symptoms in the Democratic Republic of Congo. As of February 15, it was reported that 53 people have died from the mysterious illness in the country’s northwestern Équateur Province. Some of the deaths have occurred within 48 hours of the onset of symptoms, says the World Health Organization (WHO).

 

OUR OPINION