The Observer has established that on average, 12 patients are referred to Mulago hospital daily for blood transfusions. Dr Micheal Osinde, the hospital director, said in an interview last Thursday that at least five children die every day in the children’s ward due to the blood shortage. The casualty ward and pregnant mothers are also affected.

“This is the worst the blood shortage there has ever been. And because this is a regional referral hospital, we receive patients from about 10 districts,” he said.

According to him, it costs $80 to process one unit of blood. Jinja regional referral hospital needs at least 70 units of blood in a crisis-free week.

“We do not just get blood from a donor and transfuse it into the body of a recipient. It has to be processed first,” he said.

“We don’t have a single pint of blood for all the groups in the laboratory,” he said.

Asked what could have caused the shortage, Dr Osinde pinned it on funding gaps in the ministry. He said the Uganda Blood Transfusion Service had run short of money to collect, process and store blood by last December.
Source: http://www.observer.ug/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=25522:5-die-daily-as-jinja-hospital-runs-out-of-blood&catid=34:news&Itemid=114

23^rd  May, 2013

Uganda, Kampala – Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) working on issues of trade, intellectual property, access to medicines, food & Seed in Uganda have issued a letter to the World Trade Organization’s (WTO) Council Chair as well as Developed country Missions in Uganda to express their disapproval of the manner in which the negotiations for the request to extend the time within which Least Developed Countries (LDCs) can enforce Trade Related Aspects of Intellectual Property (TRIPS).

On November 2012, Haiti (the then chair of LDCs at the TRIPS Council) submitted a request on behalf of all LDCs to the WTO TRIPS Council for an extension of the LDC transition period until a Member ceases to be a LDC. This request has received overwhelming support from developed countries like Norway, academics from around the world, 5 representatives of the US Senate, and civil society groups from developed, developing and least developed countries..

It is infuriating to note, however, that over the past few months, the WTO has been chairing informal meetings between developed countries and least developed countries where LDCs have been pressed to agree to a shorter term of 5 – 7.5 years and the inclusion of a provision to not roll back their current intellectual property laws without admitting groups that support them to the meetings.

The Director of the Centre for Health, Human Rights and Development, Mulumba Moses, has expressed dissatisfaction at these developments, “This is unacceptable as the TRIPS Agreement states that upon a duly motivated request, the TRIPS council shall grant an extension. LDCs to which Uganda is categorised are justified in seeking an unlimited extension for so long as they are so classified because the suggested 5-7 years will not give us adequate time to overcome capacity constraints to develop a viable and competitive technological base.”

It should also be noted that almost 90% of drugs in Uganda are imported, the majority of which are generic versions from India. India, like Uganda, is a party to the Agreement on Trade Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS). As per requirements under TRIPS, India grants product patents for drugs and pharmaceuticals while Uganda does not. This has impacted the accessibility and affordability of cheap lifesaving drugs as Uganda does not have the capacity to provide drugs for its entire population.

Mr, Joshua Wamboga from The Aids Support Organisation (TASO) notes, “The ability to access cheap medicines on the market will be curtailed and the fight against HIV/AIDS in Uganda may be lost if expansive trade laws are adopted without improving the incomes of Ugandans.”.

The next TRIPS Council meeting will be held on 10-11 June, 2013 but United States, European Union, and Australia are currently in informal meetings aggressively trying to pressure LDCs to keep in place the “no roll-back” provision that prevents LDCs from changing their existing laws, even if they were adopted from the colonial era or new laws that have proven bad for development.

Today the High court of Uganda began proceedings on the maternal health case filed by the Centre for Health Human Rights and Development &  Others against Nakaseke District Local Government (Civil suit No.111 of 2012).

Mr. Mugerwa the husband of the deceased and children during the court proceedings

The first day of proceedings was widely attended to by members of the public, the Coalition to Stop Maternal Mortality in Uganda, and the media.

Actions for this case were filed on April 12th 2012 by CEHURD after Nanteza Irene died In Nakaseke Hospital while in labour. The plaintiffs assert that Nanteza Irene was not given medical attention for almost 10 hours.

This case triggers a number of Constitutional issues, all of which are being used to claim that the events leading  Nanteza Irene’s death violated her (and her children’s’) rights to life, health, freedom from inhumane and degrading treatment, and equality.

The case was presided over by His Lordship Justice Benjamin Kabiito and two witnesses from the plaintiff’s side were interviewed. Nanteza Irene’s three surviving children were also in attendance.

CEHURD is actively involved in a number of other activities as it awaits the judgment in this case including advocating for a better health budget for financial year 2013/14 and ensuring that health workers are recruited, motivated and remunerated.

The trial has been adjourned until 31st May 2013 and it will proceed with testimonies from the remaining witnesses.

Ms Florence Candiru is carried onto a truck with goats and goods at Olujobo Health Centre. PHOTO BY Felix Akello Warom

By Felix Warom Okello & Clement Aluma

An expectant mother lost her child at the weekend after she was transported on a lorry carrying goats and goods following the alleged refusal of Olujobo Health Centre III workers to grant her an ambulance. Ms Florence Candiru, who had been admitted to Olujobo Health Centre III, was reportedly referred to Arua Regional Referral Hospital by health workers at the facility.

However, when she sought the services of the health centre’s ambulance, she was allegedly told that the ambulance would be transporting health workers for training at Rhino Camp Sub-county.

Her relatives were forced to hire a lorry that was passing-by the health centre to take her to Arua Regional Referral Hospital. Speaking to the Daily Monitor at Arua Regional Referral Hospital, Ms Candiru, 35, said: “After we were told that there is no ambulance, I saw death coming either to me or my child. But unfortunately the child died. All I wanted was to reach the hospital and deliver,” she said as tears rolled down her cheeks.

Her brother, Mr Francis Korubuga, who was by her side, said: “As the pain continued at Olujobo Health Centre III, the relatives went by the roadside to look for any vehicle passing by. We then landed on a truck that carried goats, charcoal, firewood and sacks of cassava.

Then we had to pay Shs130,000 to hire the truck to carry her to Arua Regional Referral Hospital.” When contacted for comment, the District Health Officer, Dr Patrick Anguzu, said he would investigate the matter and those found culpable would be prosecuted. “Our priority is first to save lives of patients,” Dr Anguzu said. However, efforts to speak to the officer in-charge of Olujobo Health Centre III, Mr Rophin Anguzu, were futile as he could not be reached on phone by press time.

The health sector in Uganda is facing a host of problems such as under funding, shortage of drugs, health workers, ambulances and equipment.

Source: http://www.monitor.co.ug/News/National/Pregnant-woman-loses-baby-after-being-/-/688334/1853740/-/a5n7u0/-/index.html

As this year’s theme [Creativity: The Next Generation] suggests, we need to highlight the importance of intellectual property policy, legal and institutional frameworks in ensuring an environment for creativity while at the same time addressing the potential of intellectual property to enhance the quality of the daily lives of the people of Uganda today and the generations to come.

The World Intellectual property day also offers us a chance to reflect on the opportunities provided by Articles 7 and 8 of the World Trade Organization’s Trade Related Aspects of Intellectual Property (TRIPS) Agreement. Article 7 of this Agreement provides that the protection and enforcement of intellectual property rights SHOULD contribute to the promotion of technological innovation and to the transfer and dissemination of technology in a manner conducive to social and economic welfare. On the other hand, Article 8 gives the countries liberty to adopt measures necessary to protect public health and nutrition, and to promote the public interest in sectors of vital importance to their socio-economic and technological development while formulating or amending their laws and regulations. This position was also re-affirmed in the 2001 Declaration at Doha that “the TRIPS Agreement DOES NOT and SHOULD NOT prevent Members from taking measures to protect public health.”

See full statement here

The minister of Justice Hon Kahinda Otafiire has today April 22, 2013 told journalists that the government will embrace flexibilities in Intellectual Property laws if raised in Parliament to help in consumer protection.  The minister who emphasized that consumers are supposed to pay authors of books and creators of medicines also said that if relevant gaps in Intellectual Property laws in Uganda are raised by Members of Parliament, government will not hesitate in embracing them.

This was during a media briefing organized by the Uganda Registration Services Bureau (URSB) at the Uganda Media Centre in Kampala. The media briefing was aimed at informing media practitioners about a two day High level National Intellectual Property Policy Forum that will take place between 23rd and 24th of April 2013 at Hotel Africana.

According to the media brief issued at the Uganda Media Center, the purpose of the forum is to set measures for a coordinated strategy among policy makers, governments, officials, representatives from industry, research and development institutions, universities, civil societies and private sector with an aim of encouraging and facilitating effective creation, protection and management of intellectual property with in the national development framework.

Intellectual property (IP) refers to creations of the mind, which include inventions, literary and artistic works, symbols, names, images, and designs used in trade. IP rights are, therefore, the entitlements given to owners of IP, in form of patents, copyrights and others.

However, much as these rights give the creator or inventor the legal right to prevent others from benefiting from their idea except with their permission, the human rights principles and mechanisms require that Intellectual Property rules do not stifle access to essential goods for the welfare of society, particularly in least developing countries (LDCs) with relatively lower levels of innovation.

LDCs such as Uganda, are struggling to conform to new global standards of Intellectual Property protection as prescribed by the multilateral Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS Agreement).

The World Trade Organisation (WTO)’s Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPs) agreements are minimum standards which allow countries to provide reasonable protection of intellectual property with an aim of promoting access to essential commodities.

Incorporating these in Intellectual Property laws of a country help in consumer protection thus access to essential commodities.

CEHURD

Yesterday April 11, 2013, the High court of Uganda started hearing a maternal health case filed by the Center for Health Human Rights and Development (CEHURD) & others against Nakaseke District Local Government and the Attorney General.

On 12th April 2012 the Center for health, Human rights and Development (CEHURD) dragged Nakaseke District Local government to court challenging the way Nanteza Irene died in labour pain despite crying for almost 10 hours without any medical attention accorded to her.

This case follows a landmark maternal health case that was filed by CEHURD in the Constitutional court of Uganda in March 2011 (Constitutional Petition No.16 of 2011). The justices in that case advised the petitioners to seek other remedies in other courts of law.

By the time of this ruling (June 2012) CEHURD had already filed this case and had never been fixed for hearing. It is on record that 16 women die in Uganda daily and the more cases are delayed in courts the more women that die.

CEHURD is thus calling upon the High court to give a declaratory judgment that the acts, omissions and behaviors of the health workers and the local government towards  Nanteza Irene (deceased) leading to her death violated her rights to life, to health, freedom from inhuman and degrading treatment and equality and that of her children.

“It’s the justices of the court that can end the preventable maternal deaths by according justice where it’s due. We cannot continue to see the injustices of women dying from preventable maternal deaths. We call upon the government to recruit, allocate and motivate health workers as well as supply necessary basic maternal health commodities in the health facilities as part of their Human rights obligations” Said Mulumba Moses, Executive Director of CEHURD.

The leading causes of maternal death in Uganda include massive shortage of trained, motivated and equitably deployed professional health workers to attend to births, lack of access to emergency obstetric care, lack of access to quality antenatal care, and lack of access to family planning services, hemorrhage, sepsis and above all lack of a political will to priotize the right to health..

Court will next hear the case on 17th May 2013 as counsel for the plaintiffs sought an adjournment to file a joint scheduling memorandum since the defendants had not signed the one that was prepared and hence wasn’t filed in court on time. His Lordship Justice

Benjamin Kabiito the judge handling the matter advised the parties to do a scheduling and file the same in court by 30th April 2013 such that on 17th May they come ready to proceed as he will not entertain unnecessary adjournments.

For more information, contact: Noor Nakibuuka, CEHURD, +256782496681

“It is of great pleasure that the Uganda Human Rights Commission is starting to pay close attention to health issues, said Ms. Noor Nakibuuka the Strategic Litigation Manager at CEHURD. Ms Nakibuuka also commended the Commission for appreciating CEHURD work.

According to the Uganda Demographic health Survey 2011, the maternal mortality ratio increased by 1% from 435 deaths per 100,000 births in 2006 to 438 deaths per 100,000 births in 2011. However, the Uganda Human Rights Commission Report estimates that the maternal mortality ratio outside health facilities could be 500 deaths per 100,000 births. This as mentioned in the report is attributed to delay of women to seek medical help, lack of blood products and staffnon-action.

In 2011 the Center for Health Human Rights and Development (CEHURD) and three others petitioned the constitution court in Centre for Health Human Rights and Development (CEHURD) and 3 Ors versus Attorney General, Constitutional Petition no 16 of 2011.

The grounds of the Petition were that the non-provision of basic indispensable health maternal commodities in government health facilities and the imprudent and unethical behavior of health workers towards expectant mothers are inconsistent with the 1995 Constitution of the Republic of Uganda and a violation of the right to health

However, at the hearing of the case, the Attorney General raised a preliminary objection that the issues raised in the petition involve the political questions not within the mandate of the Constitutional Court to handle which was upheld by the Court.

The Constitutional Court interpreted strictly the doctrine of separation of powers where by a particular function is restricted to the corresponding organ of government where the personnel of the three organs of Government are distinct and the independence of each branch of government is immune from undue encroachment from any of the others. It is upon this background that the Uganda Human Rights Commission concluded that, this strict interpretation makes it a challenge to enforce the right to health including access to quality health care and services as a Constitutional right.

However, the Center for Health Human Rights and Development (CEHURD) filed an Appeal (Constitution Appeal No.1 of   2013) in the Supreme Court challenging the ruling of the Constitutional Court.

This was witnessed in a training workshop organized by Uganda National Tobacco Control Association (UNTCA) on the 27th- 28th March, 2013. The training aimed at building capacity for increased efficiency and effectiveness of fundraising campaigns and to inform managers and fundraisers among Tobacco control CSO stake holders on types of fundraising and how to approach donors for grants.

The workshop among other activities are all carried out with one major goal; to build capacity and a strong partnership of Civil Society Organizations for effective tobacco control activism in Uganda and to support the tobacco control Bill passage.

According to Mr. Gilbert Muyambi the Executive Secretary UNTCA, globally 560 people die due to tobacco related illnesses every hour, 13,400 people die every day, 4.9 million people every year, and it is estimated that by the end of the year 2030, 10 million people will have died from tobacco and out of those deaths, 70% will have  occurred in developing countries like Uganda.

According to the Uganda Demographic and Health Survey 2006, almost a quarter of Ugandan males (22%) aged between 15 and 49% are smokers while 4% of females are smokers.
It is upon this background that UNTCA and other partner organizations CEHURD inclusive strongly believe that there must be control on tobacco. This can be achieved through the Tobacco Control Bill 2012 that is to be tabled in parliament by Hon. Chris Baryomunsi, MP Kinkizi West.

The Tobacco Control Coalition is therefore geared towards among others sensitizing all relevant stakeholders that play critical roles as regards tobacco control and thereby ensure that the Tobacco Control bill is passed.
CUHURD.

At birth, Gloria Nalumansi examined her newborn baby and everything seemed fine. However, she did not bother to also examine the baby’s genitals. Two months later, Nalumansi’s mother in-law discovered that the boy had one testis. Nalumansi immediately consulted a doctor and it was confirmed that the boy had a condition medically referred to as undescended testes.

Dr. John Sekabira, a paediatric surgeon at Mulago Hospital, says sometimes, the congenital condition is missed by medical workers and parents at birth.

He defines undescended testes as a condition where the testes fail to move into the scrotum (a bag that contains testicles).

Under normal circumstances, testes develop early when a male foetus is being formed and are located in the abdominal cavity. Between 28 and 32 weeks, the testes descend gradually into the scrotum, followed by a sac containing fluid, which later dissolves.

Sekabira says for some children, the fluid does not dissolve, causing a condition called a hydrocele. In others, the testes do not reach down the scrotum and the sac remains open, resulting in a hernia (rupture in muscle tissue through which a bodily structure protrudes).

Causes

l Abnormalities in the testes.

l Insufficiency of maternal hormones that stimulate descent.

l Premature birth, where a baby is born before the testes fully descend.

Prevalence

Sekabira says about 10 out of the 80 children at the surgical out-patient clinic in Mulago Hospital have undescended testes.

Signs

Daisy Ssenyange, a senior midwife at Mengo Hospital, says an empty scrotum, upon feeling, is a common sign, followed by a swelling or pain in the groin (the area between the abdomen and the thighs). The hernia is noticeable when the child is upright, straining, coughing, crying or laughing. These signs indicate that the testicles have logged in the abdomen wall, appearing as a lump in the groin.

“Although some children present  with hernia, after being examined, doctors may discover an undescended testis,”Ssenyange explains.

Diagnosis

Ssenyange says the baby’s testes should be felt at birth. In the event that an undescended testis is discovered, the baby is monitored every time the mother goes for post-natal check-up. Fortunately for most boys, the testes descend during the first nine months.

In case of failure to descend by one year, the condition is corrected surgically. If the testes cannot be felt on both sides, a laparoscopy (a small incision to examine the abdominal cavity) is done to establish whether or not the child has testes.

Complications

Sekabira says the testes are primarily responsible for making hormones. After puberty, the testes produce both hormones and sperm. Sometimes children with undescended testes develop complications. A testis that remains in the abdomen may undergo twisting, causing pain and if not treated, may result in death. If the testes have not descended, this compromises their functionality.

In addition, when both testes are affected, the child is at risk of infertility. Worse still, when the testis is left inside the abdomen, it may form a tumour later in life.

Treatment

A child with undescended testes can only be treated after one year because the baby’s organs would have matured enough to withstand the stress of surgery.

If the spermatic cord and vessels are long enough, they are brought down and the testes descend. Alternatively, if they are short, the procedure is done in stages. Surgery is free at Mulago Hospital.

Sekabira advises that a baby’s genitals be reviewed thoroughly at birth to confirm that the testes are in their normal position in the scrotum.

with hernia, after being examined, doctors may discover an undescended testis,”Ssenyange explains.

Source: http://www.newvision.co.ug/news/640978-undescended-testes-have-you-checked-your-baby.html