Blog
Anyese Night Madina’s story
Anyese Night Madina every day brings a child who is evidently very sick on the streets of Kampala to beg for money. It is true that most people feel sympathetic towards this child. Anyese says her child is HIV positive. Every single day she sits on the street. This money she collects daily amounts to 12,000 Ugandan shillings ($5 US dollars). more
Female circumcision in Samburu, Kenya: where culture is above the law
How do you help people who don’t think their rights are being violated? KC Sidi Sarro reports on female circumcision in Samburu, in the Rift Valley, northern Kenya. more
Reducing maternal and infant mortality in Zambia
Giving birth to a baby is a joy for many women but this is not the case for many in Zambia given the high number of maternal deaths. Many women in rural areas see giving birth as not only a burden but a nightmare. Women are scared of falling pregnant due to high costs and also the shortage of midwives, which leads them to give birth at home using the services of traditional birth attendants (TBAs). more
TB stigma: are you a hindrance to treatment?
I was tired, the sun was scorching hot in the dusty afternoon and I searched for a place where I could rest my tired bones. I spotted a bench outside a building and I quickly allowed my legs to lead … more
Views from the frontline: an interview with a HIV counsellor in Uganda
Paul Ssekawungu is a leading HIV/AIDS counsellor in Uganda who has been in the field for six years. He has counselled many HIV positive patients before and after they are initiated on antiretroviral therapy (ART). more
HIV positive and wanting to be a mum: a risky part of the Ugandan woman’s culture
Prevention of mother to child transmission initiatives mean women living with HIV means a woman’s urge to have children can be fulfilled but issues of disclosure and family planning guidance remain a challenge – as does the risk of infection in discordant couples who desire to have children, reports KC Owamazima. more
The Segu culture violating the rights of girls and women
Thomas Banda (name changed) graduated from the traditional school where boys who have come of age are taught to engage in Segu (meaning ‘to open’), the raping of young girls to prove their sexual prowess. more
Jeremiah’s story: counting the cost of medical negligence
Seven-year-old Jeremiah Tenywa has been in pain for over three years due to an injection, which was meant to cure his malaria, but instead turn his life to a misery. more
Our correspondents are writing for change on HIV issues relating to young people, as well as drug use.