Published17 hours agoSharecloseShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingImage source, Getty ImagesBy Patience Atuhaire BBC News, KampalaAn Ebola patient has died at a hospital in Uganda’s capital, the health ministry has confirmed.He was the 19th victim in the current outbreak of the deadly virus but the first to die in Kampala.There have been 54 confirmed cases in Uganda but no others have been recorded in the city.Twenty people have recovered including five medics from the first hospital where a case was treated. They were discharged on Tuesday.The person who died in Kampala was already known to the authorities as having potentially come into contact with the virus. Why is Uganda’s Ebola outbreak so serious?He was from outside the city but Health Minister Dr Jane Ruth Aceng said the man ran away from his village, disguised his identity and visited a traditional healer in a different region.He died at Kiruddu National Referral Hospital last Friday, but the death has only just been confirmed.Dr Aceng said that teams which treated him were alert to the dangers and had protected themselves, because the patient arrived at the hospital when he was seriously ill. Forty-two people who he may have come into contact with have been identified and are being followed up. Ebola spreads between humans by direct contact with bodily fluids and contaminated environments. Funerals can be a particular risk if mourners have direct contact with the body.Dr Aceng added that there are currently no other confirmed Ebola cases in Kampala, although the city and surrounding districts are considered high risk.The outbreak began in September in Mubende district, 80km (50 miles) west of the capital.A 24-year-old-man was the first known Ebola death, and six members of his family also died. Four health workers have also been among the victims, including a doctor from Tanzania.Medics had previously expressed concern about the lack of adequate personal protective equipment (PPE) such as gloves and masks. They had also called for Mubende to be put under quarantine.However, President Yoweri Museveni ruled out restrictions, saying: “Ebola is not spread like corona[virus]” as it is not an airborne disease.No effective Ebola vaccine is available yet, because the Sudan strain circulating in central Uganda is different to the Zaire strain that has afflicted West Africa and the Democratic Republic of Congo and which can be immunised against.Experts say it is unrealistic to think Ebola will ever be eradicated, but with swift action and effective contact tracing it is now easier to prevent a crisis.More on this storyWhy is Uganda’s Ebola outbreak so serious?30 SeptemberDoctors in Ebola zone strike over safety fears26 September

Published15 hours agoSharecloseShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingImage source, Getty ImagesTrainee medics battling Ebola in Uganda’s virus epicentre accuse the government of putting their lives at risk.”Most times you come into contact with a patient and you use your bare hands,” one worker told the BBC anonymously.All trainees at Mubende’s regional hospital say they are on strike and are demanding to be moved somewhere safer.But Ugandan health ministry spokesman Emmanuel Ainebyoona told the BBC there was “no strike at the hospital”.Yet all 34 of the hospital’s interns – including doctors, pharmacists and nurses – have announced their decision to strike in a joint statement.They say they are being put at undue risk because they lack appropriate safety kit, risk allowances and health insurance.Six interns at the hospital have already been exposed to the virus, and are awaiting their test results in isolation.Since the outbreak began earlier this month, official government data shows 36 people are suspected of contracting Ebola, of whom 23 have died.A 24-year-old-man was the first known Ebola death, and six members of his family also died. No effective Ebola vaccine is available here yet, because the Sudan strain circulating in central Uganda is different to the Zaire strain that has afflicted West Africa and DR Congo and which can be immunised against.Experts say it is unrealistic to think Ebola will ever be eradicated, but it is now easier to prevent a crisis.You may also be interested in:Why does Ebola keep coming back?Uganda’s organ transplant revolution brings hope to thousandsA quick guide to UgandaAdditional reporting by Natasha Booty

Published11 minutes agoSharecloseShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingUganda’s parliament is scrutinising a proposed law that would enable organ transplants to happen in the country for the first time, transforming the lives of thousands hoping for operations.Annita Twongyeirwe had pictured a different future for herself.But since being diagnosed with kidney failure three years ago, the 28-year-old is preoccupied either by having dialysis or thinking about the next session.”It has taken over my life,” she says, looking defeated. During dialysis a machine essentially performs the kidneys’ function and cleans the blood of waste products and excess fluids. Each session lasts about four hours and she has to go to hospital twice a week. In between sessions she spends most of her time at home – a relative’s house – helping out with chores where she can, and keeping an eye on a WhatsApp group she created through which friends and well-wishers can donate money. “I was this ambitious girl. I wanted to go further with studies. I would probably be somebody’s girlfriend or wife, so all that life is cut short. It took away all the dreams I had,” she adds.A kidney transplant could bring them back. But an operation abroad, currently the only option, comes with a price tag of about $30,000 (£26,000) – and is out of reach of most.Hundreds of Ugandans, who like Ms Twongyeirwe cannot afford this, live on dialysis for as long as possible. But even at the subsidised price of around $100 a week for the treatment and drugs, that is more than five times the average total income in Uganda and so is only an option for a small fraction of the population.The ward at Kiruddu National Referral Hospital on the edge of the capital, Kampala, is the only public health facility in the country that offers this service. Almost 200 patients attend the clinic regularly, many of them traveling long distances.But they represent only a fraction of those countrywide living with kidney failure and in need of specialised care. “They leave their families and livelihoods behind to live close to the hospital. This is an unnatural situation,” Dr Daniel Kiggundu, the only kidney specialist working at the unit, tells the BBC. The ward is a cacophony of beeping machines, as nurses weave through dialysis stations attending to patients. Some of those getting treatment seem extremely weak, drifting in and out of sleep, while others sit up and chat with their carers. The clinic runs two shifts each day, each of them taking in about 30 patients. It operates dangerously close to full capacity and there is little spare time to prepare the patients for treatment.When Ms Twongyeirwe is due for a session, she spends the night at the hospital in order to be ready in time.She first realised she was unwell when her entire body began to swell in 2018 and she spent 18 months going from clinic to clinic before she got the right diagnosis.Her life was turned upside-down.She had to drop out of university where she was studying law and she lost her job. She also moved from her family home in western Uganda to Kampala, to live close to the hospital. At home, the soft-spoken woman goes about washing dishes with such grace that, save for the plaster on her arm, it is hard to tell that she has just returned from a dialysis session.’I feel like a burden'”When I return from the hospital I rest because the whole body is weak. Later, I do some work around the house to stay active,” she explains.Ms Twongyeirwe raises the money needed each week from friends and family.”I feel like a burden to people who help me pay for dialysis. Whenever somebody sees your call, they know you want money from them.”She has also turned to family members to see if someone would want to donate a kidney.She says a cousin had been willing but then changed their mind.Even if that offer had remained, Ms Twongyeirwe would still have had to raise more money and get approval from the medical authorities to fly abroad for the operation. If the new law is passed then one of the hurdles would be removed.Uganda would be joining a short list of African countries, including South Africa, Tunisia and Kenya, that have both the regulations and health facilities for organ transplants to be possible within their borders.At the moment India and Turkey are the most popular destinations for Ugandan kidney patients. Only close relatives are allowed to be donors and trips have to be approved by the Uganda Medical Board – to prevent organ trafficking or people being coerced to offer their organs.But if parliament approves the new measure, then the process should be more straightforward and the cost for surgery and recovery care could come down to about $8,000.Those backing it say Uganda needs special legislation to create a safe framework under strict regulation to make sure there is no abuse.The proposal includes the creation of a national waiting list of organ recipients as well as the establishment of specialised transplant centres around the country. An operating theatre has already been set up at the main national hospital in Mulago, Kampala. Organ banks will also be created for those who want to donate – and not just for kidneys”We are [also] thinking of corneal transplants for the eyes [and] skin banks for patients who have burns,” says Dr Fualal Jane Odubu, chairperson of the Uganda Medical Board.About 100 Ugandan health workers, including surgeons, nurses and post-surgery specialists have already been trained abroad, mostly in carrying out kidney transplantations. Despite the hope that this could bring, there will still be a waiting list and the need to raise money.Ms Twongyeirwe says that despair is never far away.”The other patients and I have become family. The most difficult days are when you turn up at the clinic and find that someone died. We lost a little boy recently and that was very hard to cope with,” she says, holding back tears.But for her the new law could be transformational.”It would help patients like us be able to get transplants. Donating a kidney is giving someone another life. “Some people fear incurring all the costs of traveling abroad, and you might get there, and the donor changes their mind. So if the transplant is being done here at home it’s less stressful.”More on this storyInside the ‘world’s fittest country’15 September 2018No doctors, no drugs17 November 2017Painful wait for cancer treatment17 June 2016

SharecloseShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingChildren in Uganda have expressed their joy at finally returning to school nearly two years after they were closed because of Covid.”I am really excited because it’s been a long time without seeing our teachers. And we have missed out a lot,” Joel Tumusiime told the BBC.”I am glad to be back at school,” echoed another, Mercy Angel Kebirungi.But after one of the world’s longest school closures, authorities warned at least 30% of students may never return.Some have started work, while others have become pregnant or married early, the country’s national planning authority said. About 15 million students have been affected by the closure, the government says.”We can’t let this happen again. We must keep schools open for every child, everywhere,” the UN children’s agency, Unicef, warned on Twitter.Africa Live: For more on this and other stories around the continentThe Ugandan ex-teacher whose children may never return to schoolSome classes reopened in October 2020 temporarily, but closed again in May and June of the following year.While schools were closed, there have been some lessons via the radio, TV and newspapers while some schools have provided printed materials, but these have not reached everyone.Wealthier Ugandans have also been able to access online classes and home tutors.But many children have not been to school for about 22 months.One pupil explained how she continued learning during the long hiatus.”My parents never had the time to study with me. When schools were closed, I was able to read, but on my own. Sometimes I would meet with friends to study,” said Christine Teburwa. Like Joel and Mercy, she is in Primary Five, meaning they are between nine and 11 years old.Pupils who have not had any education since March 2020 will resume classes a year above where they were before the pandemic.However, some parents in the capital, Kampala, questioned this.”My children have not been learning at all. I wish they could be allowed to continue from where they stopped,” Rachael Nalumansi said.”Before the first lockdown our children had only been in school for two weeks. So it is a bit concerning that they are now promoting them to the next class,” Vanetta Bangi said. For those students who have not accessed any form of studying during the pandemic, the curriculum will be abridged to focus on core areas and give them a chance to catch up.Lessons were already underway at some schools I visited on Monday morning while at others, students were still cleaning classrooms and re-organising their desks. Others were still registering with the school administration.Boarding school students in Kampala and the nearby districts will start throughout the week, to avoid congestion on public transport.Despite authorities instructing that health and safety measures like masks and social distancing should be in place, not all institutions have the space or facilities to ensure that these steps are properly followed. Some have huge numbers of students and very few classrooms.But it is not only learners who will struggle, many parents’ incomes were also hit by the pandemic, and some will find it difficult to raise money for tuition fees and other school requirements. The phased reopening of schools, which started in November with universities and higher education institutions, was pegged to the vaccination of over 550,000 teachers, their support staff, and students aged 18 and above. Uganda, which has had some of the world’s strictest lockdowns, is now moving to fully reopen the economy despite being at the start of its third wave of the pandemic driven by the Omicron variant. This video can not be playedTo play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.BBC World Service – Africa Today – Downloads