Author: rowan

At the weekend in Kampala, a piece of news landed that could reshape the future of one of the world’s most neglected diseases.The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) had accepted a groundbreaking patent from Dei BioPharma Ltd, a Ugandan biotechnology company led by scientist Dr Matthias Magoola.The innovation, approved on January 26, 2026, offers a radically different approach to treating sickle cell disease—one designed not only to cure the illness, but to make that cure affordable and accessible to the millions who need it most.

The Ministry of Health has dismissed reports circulating on social media claiming that Uganda is experiencing an outbreak of Nipah virus, calling the claims false and misleading.In an official statement, the Ministry said no cases of the virus have been recorded in the country and that all national disease surveillance systems remain fully operational.”Uganda has not registered any case or outbreak of Nipah virus,” said the Director General of Health Services, Dr Charles Olaro.”No alerts, samples, or laboratory results suggestive of Nipah virus have been received or confirmed.”The clarification comes after a video circulated online alleging the presence of the deadly virus in Uganda.Dr Olaro warned that spreading unverified information could create unnecessary fear and panic among the public.

KAMPALA, Jan 29 (Reuters) – Uganda plans to cut external budget support by 84.2% year-on-year in the next financial year starting July, the finance ministry said late on Wednesday, amid efforts to ramp up domestic revenues.In a post on social media platform X, the finance ministry said external budget support, which typically comes in the form of loans and grants, was projected to fall to 330.9 billion shillings ($92.72 million) in the financial year starting July, down from 2.1 trillion shillings a year prior.The ministry did not give a reason for the reduction but said in the next financial year the government was keen on “implementing strategies to boost domestic revenue mobilisation.”

Dettol Hygiene Quest Uganda, in partnership with the Jinja District Local Government, has signed a landmark Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to permanently integrate hygiene education into the local school curriculum.Signed on January 8, 2026, the agreement marks a transition from donor-funded programming to sustainable, locally owned implementation, ensuring long-term improvements in child health and school attendance beyond the initial funding from Reckitt.The partnership adopts a “Sustainability through Integration” model, prioritizing community-led ownership over short-term aid.

Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni has been declared the winner of Thursday’s election extending his four decades in power by another five years. He gained 72% of the vote, the election commission announced, against 25% for his closest challenger Bobi Wine, who has condemned what he described as “fake results” and “ballot stuffing”.Wine has not provided any details and the authorities have not responded to his allegations, but African Union election observers said they saw “no evidence of ballot stuffing”. Wine has called for non-violent protests.Museveni, 81, first came to power as a rebel leader in 1986 but since then has won seven elections.

Uganda has approved the use of Lenacapavir, a twice-yearly HIV prevention injection, marking a major milestone in the country’s fight against HIV/AIDS.The bi-annual HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) injection, developed by US-based Gilead Sciences, provides a long-acting, highly effective alternative to daily oral medication.With just two injections per year, the drug, endorsed by the World Health Organisation (WHO) in July 2025 and prequalified in October, offers a convenient option for individuals who struggle with adherence, face stigma or have limited access to healthcare services. ROWAN is looking into this for our future care, although much research needs to be done in order to confirm this is the best way forward.

Uganda’s authorities are mulling imposing strict controls on internet use, including the possible blocking of major social media networks, if the spread of false election information continues.The Acting Secretary-Commissioner of the Electoral Commission, Ronald Kamugisha, revealed the potential measures on Friday while speaking to reporters in Kampala.Platforms under review include TikTok, YouTube, Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), and Instagram, all of which could face restrictions ahead of the general elections scheduled for mid-January 2026.