By Serunjogi Francis
Center for Health Human Rights and Development (CEHURD) joined Uganda National Tobacco Control Association (UNTCA) and other CSOs to form a coalition with an aim of promoting the campaign on tobacco control in Uganda.

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.

By Agnes Kyotalengerire

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

By Stephen Otage

Most government health facilities do not have toilets designed to meet the needs of expectant mothers and in places where they exist, they are not operational, the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Health has said.

Dr Asuman Lukwago said the challenge is part of the many healthcare problems the ministry is struggling to deal with since most districts do not utilise the capital development funds they receive.

Aga Khan donates

He made the remarks following a donation of four sit-toilet pans by the Aga Khan Foundation and Shia Imami Ismaili Community of Uganda to Wakiso Health Centre IV and Mende Health centre III on Saturday.

The donation came after a weekend health camp focusing on the treatment of childhood infections, ante-natal care done by 30 volunteers from the Ismaili Community and the UK International Emergency Trauma Register that treated close to 1,500 patients.

Source: http://www.monitor.co.ug/News/National/Health-centres-lack-maternity-toilets–says-PS/-/688334/1729446/-/4egqo/-/index.html

Written by Diana Nabiruma
Thanks to partnering groups in health, the ministry of Health is registering marked improvements in key areas such as maternal health.

In fact at a recent function, a ministry of Health official said one Ugandan district had not reported a single case of a mother dying during childbirth, a scenario probably unprecedented in a country and continent still grappling with high rates of child and maternal mortality. Dr Jacinto Amandua, the ministry of Health Commissioner for Clinical Services, said: “We didn’t have a single maternal death in Fort Portal in the last one year.”

He said this as he launched Management of Sciences for Health (MSH)’s strategic roadmap for Uganda on March 7 at the Serena conference centre. The international organisation works to save lives and improve the health of the world’s poorest and most vulnerable people, by partnering with health ministries to improve reproductive health, HIV, TB, malaria treatment, and drug distribution.

Stephen Lwanga, the MSH country representative, said because they will be able to “decide with government” on which programmes to engage in, they will have a bigger impact. Currently, MSH is running programmes like Track TB which aims at strengthening tuberculosis management within Kampala and its environs.

“Urban TB is a whole different matter,” said Lwanga, explaining why there is need to strengthen TB management in Kampala.

The Sunrise project is aimed at ensuring that consumers have access to drugs. The programme, Strides, for family health, is aimed at improving reproductive and family health. Amandua said efforts of MSH Uganda and those of others supplementing government efforts in health are paying off, as is the case with Fort Portal’s reproductive health.

He also said that working with MSH Uganda would enable government to learn and implement from MSH’s best practices.

Source: http://www.observer.ug/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=24277:uganda-registers-points-in-maternal-health&catid=58:health-living&Itemid=89

By BILL OKETCH

More than 30 expectant mothers seeking family planning and antenatal services at Anyeke Health Centre IV in Oyam District were on Monday left stranded as there were no nurses to attend to them.

Ms Rose Ogwang, who had travelled from Lira District, which is about 40 kilometers away, said the hospital had only two nurses attending to the many patients in the maternity ward. “Since I came here, I have seen only two nurses working in this maternity ward. At the moment, there are two mothers coming to deliver and yet they must also attend to us who have complicated cases,” Ms Ogwang said.

Ms Sarah Awidi, a nursing assistant, said most of her colleagues were promoted and could not remain at the facility. “This means poor quality services will be given to our mothers because you find the same nurse giving family planning services to the mothers is same nurse giving the treatment in the ward,” Ms Awidi added.

Dr Vincent Owiny, the district health officer, said the district lost a number of midwives in the recent countrywide recruitment because they were promoted.
Uganda, like many developing countries, is experiencing a human resources crisis in the health sector.

According to the 2010/11-2014/15 health sector strategic plan 111, the current number of health staff (Doctors, nurses, midwifes) in the country, totals to 59,000, with a ratio of 1: 1,818 people.

This is far below the recommended WHO minimum standard, which considers countries with less than 1 doctor, nurses or midwife per 439 people, in critical shortage of health workers.
Source: http://www.monitor.co.ug/News/National/Expectant-mothers-stranded-at-health-unit/-/688334/1724694/-/13gbd49z/-/index.html