Ministry of Health emphasizes the need to promote health services with the aim of increasing access and utilization of the services. Prevention and control of Tuberculosis is one of the priority services of the health sector that has had inadequate promotion as a result of lack of communication strategic guidelines. This has made it difficult to achieve the national TB control programme objectives/targets of detecting 70% of new TB infectious cases and uccessfully treat 85% of them using DOTS strategy and worse still in an environment in which HIV/AIDS has complicated the management of TB.
Malaria prevalence has reduced from 42% in 2009 to 19% in 2014 and is currently at 9% in 2018 according to the preliminary results from the malaria indicator survey (MIS). This period had an increase in cases and Test Positivity rate (TPR) compared to the same period in 2018. It also had an increased occurrence of malaria upsurges/epidemics which was attributed to largely the aging of nets and climatic changes
Uganda has the sixth highest number of annual deaths from malaria in Africa, as well as some of the highest reported malaria transmission rates in the world, with approximately 16 million cases reported in 2013 and over 10,500 deaths annually. In addition, malaria has an indirect impact on the economy and development in general. The socio-economic impact of malaria includes out-of-pocket expenditure for consultation fees, drugs, transport and subsistence at a distant health facility. These costs are estimated to be between USD 0.41 and USD 3.88 per person per month (equivalent to USD 1.88 and USD 26 per household).
Diarrhoeal diseases are a leading cause of childhood morbidity and mortality in developing countries, and an important cause of malnutrition. In 2001 an estimated 1.5 million below 5 years died from diarrhoea. On average, children below 3 years of age in developing countries experience three episodes of diarrhoea each year. Eight out of 10 of these deaths occur in the first two years of life. In many countries diarrhoea, including cholera, is also an important cause of morbidity among older children and adults.
Uganda has been heralded in the scientific media as one of the world's earliest and most compeling AIDS prevention success stories due its unprecedented HIV prevalence decline from 18% in 1992 to 6.2 in 2002
The National Strategic Framework (NSF) for HIV/AIDS Activities in Uganda was developed to cover the period 2000/01-2005/05. Late in 2003, a forward looking Mid Term Review (MTR) of the NSF was undertaken to assess progress and to identify gaps and emerging issues in implementation of the NSF. This culminated into the revision of the NSF for the period 2003/04-2005/06. This Revised National Strategic Framework for HIV/AIDS Activities in Uganda: 2003/04- 2005/06 is the resulting product
Over the past five years, substantial reductions have been recorded in mortality in children under five years of age, buttressed by improvements in malaria-specific indicators in all President’s Malaria Initiative (PMI)-supported countries where baseline and follow-up nationwide household surveys were conducted. These reductions are due in large part to a dramatic scale-up of malaria prevention and treatment measures since 2005, thanks to the collective efforts of national governments; the U.S. Government (USG); the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria; the World Bank; other international donors; and multilateral and nongovernmental organizations. This report describes the role and contributions of the USG to reduce the burden of malaria in Africa and its impact on health systems. The activities and results described below represent the effect of the first four years of PMI funding (fiscal years 2006–2009), or approximately 60 percent of the $1.265 billion requested for the Initiative.
Guidance on PMTCT is provided regularly to countries by WHO. Uganda launched the first PMTCT policy guidelines in 2002,following lessons learnt from the PMTCT pilot in 2000. Main drug was sd NVP tab for mother in labour and baby within 72 hours after delivery, AZT from 36 weeks of gestation, in labour and post partum in few sites. Recommending replacement feeding ideal for HIV positive pregnant women- infant formulae by UNICEF
Uganda has developed a National HIV Prevention Strategy to guide national efforts in the next phase of HIV prevention in the country in order to significantly reduce new HIV infections by about 30% by 2015. This, in line with the targets in the NDP would result in 40% reduction of the projected number of new infections in 2015, and avert about 200,000 new infections over five years. Virtual elimination of vertical infections is part of this overall goal.
The Lighthouse Trust was established in 2001 to provide a continuum of quality care and counselling as well as to improve the quality of life of people infected and affected by HIV/AIDS, including the terminally ill, in Lilongwe.
The HIV/AIDS epidemic in Uganda has had far reaching consequences not only for individuals, families and communities, but also for the country as a whole. In the education sector, the epidemic has emerged as a major threat to achieving Education for All (EFA) goals. The national success in the fight against HIV/AIDS in Uganda has been attributed to good and committed leadership, open policies and sustained advocacy. Policy confers legitimacy, sets priorities and goals and establishes accountability for the different partners operating in the area.
Global targets for reducing the epidemiological burden of tuberculosis (TB) – measured as incidence, prevalence and mortality – have been set for 2015 within the context of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and by the Stop TB Partnership. The targets are that the TB incidence rate should be falling globally by 2015 and that TB prevalence and death rates should be halved by 2015 compared with their levels in 1990. Achieving these impact targets is the focus of national and international efforts to control TB, and demonstrating whether or not they are achieved is of major importance for individual countries, the United Nations, the Stop TB Partnership and a variety of technical, financial and development agencies.
