Children
From the affect under resourced hospitals have on children’s health to what life is like for a child orphaned by AIDS, KCs document the experiences of young people living in their communities.
They also report the day-to-day experiences of children and young people living with TB, HIV, STIs and other health issues, as well as examining the everyday reality of teenager pregnancy and young marriage.
KCs also report news of health initiatives for children and the success and failures of existing child-focused healthcare schemes.
Rusekere teen dreams of being a nurse after delivering ahead of exam
Harriet Kobusinge, 16, a student in Western Uganda, went into labor as she waited to sit a physics exam. The teenager gave birth less than three hours later - then returned to school to finish the exam and sit another one, and now has hopes of being a nurse. KC Araali reports. more
As young as nine, girls are forced into marriage
KC Hope Marafanga reports on the situation of child brides in Uganda. more
First malaria vaccine works in major trial
From www.newvision.co.ug
An experimental vaccine from GlaxoSmithKline halved the risk of African children getting malaria in a major clinical trial, making it likely to become the world’s first shot against the deadly disease. go
Efavirenz may be under-dosed in children study shows
From www.aidsmap.com
WHO 2010 guidelines for HIV-infected children aged three and above recommend the use of two nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NRTIs) and one non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor (NNRTI). Efavirenz, an NNRTI, suitable for once-daily dosing because of its long half-life and potent antiviral activity is one of the most preferred first-line ARVs for HIV-infected children. go
Low birthweight ‘linked to autism’, says US study
From www.bbc.co.uk
Babies born weighing less than 4lb (1.8kg) could be more prone to developing autism than children born at normal weight, a study suggests. go
Ugandan orphans recieve sh 17.7m worth of items from Norweigan rotary club
A Norwegian rotary club has donated sh 17.7m worth of items to a Ugandan orphanage. more
25 injured pupils find hospital closed
25 pupils from SDA Integrated Day and Boarding Primary School in Kasitu sub-county in Bundibugyo district, were admitted to Bundibugyo Hospital last Sunday in critical condition, after health workers were called in to reopen the hospital. When the school matron, … more
Ugandan cancer patients struggle to survive
Cancer patients struggle to survive the disease and costs, however most cancers can be prevented and treated effectively if detected early and treatment is made available. But frequent drug stock-outs and an ill-equipped health systems mean many patients cannot afford … more
Mothers encouraged to breastfeed to reduce infant mortality rate
Ugandan mothers have been encouraged to breastfeed children so as to reduce the country’s infant mortality rate. more
HIV blamed for high number of orphans
The Minister of Education, Jessica Alupo, has said HIV and AIDS and the high level of poverty have increased the number of orphans and other vulnerable children in Uganda, reports KC Hope Mafaranga. more
Is India meeting its commitment to provide free education for all children?
The Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act (RTE) 2009 sought to make education accessible, free and compulsory for all children in India. But experts say the act’s provisions and outcomes reveal disconcerting features. KC Ashpreet Sethi reports. more
17,000 children immunization target in Kabarole ‘could be missed’
The district nursing officer in Kabarole, Western Uganda has warned that the district could fail to hit its target of immunizing 17,338 children under one for the year 2011-2012 – and has blamed a “lack of commitment” from staff for the failing, something health workers strongly deny. KC Araali reports. more
Traditional birth attendants trained on maternal health
Focusing on Maternal and Newborn Child Health - this photo was taken during a training session for traditional birth attendants in Busia, Kenya, on the importance of pregnant women visiting antenatal care and delivering in health centres. more
Health officer challenges mothers to breastfeed
Mothers have been challenged to put emphasis on exclusive breast feeding of their babies during the first six months in order to reduce infant mortality rate. more
Latest round of child saving fast-track initatives launched in Uganda
Uganda’s Ministry of Health yesterday (4 October 2011) launched its latest round of fast-track initiatives aimed at reducing child mortality rates and improving maternal health in the country. more
More scans recommended for unborn twins and triplets
From www.bbc.co.uk
Women expecting twins or triplets should be offered closer monitoring, including extra scans, according to new guidelines from the UK. go
United States government pledges millions to PMTCT in Uganda
The United States government has pledged 25 million dollars to support the prevention of HIV mother to child transmission progrmmes in Uganda.
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Unicef Zimbabwe appoints new Goodwill Ambassador
Differently abled Zimbabwean songstress, Prudence Mabhena has been appointed the new Unicef Zimbabwe goodwill Ambassador to work closely with the organization on advocacy to protect children from all forms of violence, particularly those children who have disabilities.
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Health workers trained in HIV testing and counselling for young people
Forty health workers in the eastern Uganda district of Katakwi are undergoing a two week training course on comprehensive HIV testing and counselling for children and adolescents. more
National child and social protection mechanisms revitalised in Zimbabwe
The Zimbabwean government has launched a plan to support orphans and vulnerable children in the country. more
Caring for children living with HIV in Africa
From www.aidstar-one.com
This report, Equipping Parents and Health Providers to Address the Psychological and Social Challenges of Caring for Children Living with HIV in Africa, provides information to better understand the psychological and social challenges faced in Africa by perinatally-infected children (aged 0-12 years), their parents/caregivers, and their health providers. go
Mother and child death rates down but still short of 2015 goal
From news.health.com
Mother and child death rates are declining faster than in the previous decade in more than half the countries around the world, an indication that international efforts to improve mother and child health are having an effect, researchers say. go
Previous infant death linked to raised risk of stillbirth
From news.health.com
Women whose first baby died within a year of birth are at increased risk for stillbirth in subsequent pregnancies, and the risk is especially high among black women, researchers report. go
Why you should circumcise your boy
From www.newvision.co.ug
When the midwife announced to Jane Akulo, a second-time mother, that she had given birth to a baby boy, Akulo knew she had an important decision to make — circumcision! For some parents, the choice is simple because it is based on cultural and religious beliefs. For others, making the decision is not easy. go
Health expert warns against teenage pregancy
A health expert in Teso sub region, Eastern Uganda, has cautioned girls aged below 20 years against getting pregnant due to the risks involved. more
Polio strain spreads to China from Pakistan
From www.bbc.co.uk
Polio has spread to China for the first time since 1999 after being imported from Pakistan, the World Health Organization (WHO) has confirmed. go
Uganda’s child mortality rate drops
From www.newvision.co.ug
Uganda is one of the few countries in Sub-Saharan Africa making significant progress in reducing child mortality, the latest report from UNICEF shows. go
Five-month-old baby needs an urgent operation
From www.monitor.co.ug
With a bulge under his overall, you don’t have to look twice at him to know that there is something swollen right below Elijah Katende’s chest. Five-month-old Katende was born with an ectopic heart (a condition where the heart is out of its normal position and is covered by a thin skin) and gastroschisis (a condition in which the intestines stick out of the body). go
The tragic consequences of stigma
Key Correspondent Jentiinora reports on the death of 15-year-old Moses Ongu, who passed away after refusing to take ARVs following bullying from school mates. more
Separating conjoined twins, Rital and Ritag: the journey
From www.bbc.co.uk
“We are very thankful to be able to look forward to going home with two separate, healthy girls,” said Rital and Ritag’s parents Drs Abdelmageed and Enas Gaboura. go
Cultural beliefs hamper cure of babies with brain swelling
From www.monitor.co.ug
According to cultural beliefs, an abnormal brain condition is caused by evil spirits that have “resurrected,” which is medically false. go
Majority of girls under age of consent first had sex with a neighbour, survey reveals
A survey into sexually active girls under the age of consent in Uganda has found that an overwhelming majority first had intercourse with a neighbour. The survey, conducted by an NGO Development Alternative [DELTER] in the districts of Soroti, in … more
Hospital births move has halved newborn deaths in China
From www.bbc.co.uk
A campaign encouraging women in China to give birth in hospital has cut newborn deaths by half, says a study in The Lancet. go
Blood infections, a silent killer in newborn babies
From allafrica.com
FINELA Asiimwe, a first-time mother, had made arrangements to deliver from a main hospital, but things did not go as the 26-year-old had planned. “Labour began in the middle of the night and I could not find transport to the hospital. My mother called in a midwife to help,” she recalls. A week later, the baby developed a fever, became irritable and refused to breastfeed. When Asiimwe took the baby to hospital, it was diagnosed with septicaemia. go
Ugandan expectant mothers urged to attend antenatal care
Expectant mothers in the Eastern Uganda district of Soroti have been cautioned against missing antenatal sessions, reports KC James Odong. more
Talent Chifamba
Talent Chifamba, a disabled girl from rural Zimbabwe, who is struggling with buying sanitary ware for her menstrual cycles due to poverty. She is now receiving support from non governmental organization Sustainable Livelihoods who are including her in a pilot project to help girls make their own sanitary pads. more
Big drop in children under five dying, says UN report
From www.bbc.co.uk
The number of children under five who die each year has plummeted from 12 million in 1990, to 7.6 million last year, the UN says. go
Youth and women affected most by HIV stigma in South Sudan, says counselor
Youth and women are most susceptible to HIV and AIDS stigma in South Sudan, a counselor has said. KC Mandera reports. more
Bereaved parents die of ‘broken heart’
From www.bbc.co.uk
Parents who lose a baby before its first birthday are more likely to die early themselves, according to a study.
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Meeting the Psychosocial Needs of Children Living with HIV in Africa
From www.aidstar-one.com
This technical brief describes promising practices in critical services related to the psychological and social wellbeing of perinatally-infected children (aged 0-12 years) in Africa. These include the identification, testing, and counseling of children so that they are linked to appropriate support as early as possible, as well as the provision of on-going psychosocial support to help children and their families manage disclosure, stigma and grief and bereavement processes. go
Mock graveyard commemorates Zim children who died of AIDS
A mock graveyard has been created at Zimbabwe’s national HIV and AIDS conference to symbolize three percent of the 10,872 children who died from AIDS related illnesses in 2010 in the country. more
Vitamin A pills ‘could save thousands of children’
From www.bbc.co.uk
Giving vitamin A supplements to children under the age of five in developing countries could save 600,000 lives a year, researchers claim.
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New swine flu strain sickens two US children
From www.presstv.com
A new strain of swine flu originated from H1N1 virus, which brought up a deadly influenza pandemic two years ago, has infected two US children. Researchers at the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced on Friday that two children living in Pennsylvania and Indiana have been infected with a new swine flu virus during their past two months.
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Battle against obestric fistula
It is both preventable and treatable, but obstetric fistula continues to torment thousands of women in Uganda, leaving them isolated and rejected by the society. KC Marykigo reports.
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Orphan students graduate on Modern Farming Course in Uganda
2300 orphans graduate in Modern Farming Studies.
Story By Dismus Buregyeya in Rakai.
At least 2300 orphan and venerable children in the HIV/AIDS stricken districts of Rakai,Masaka and Ssembabule have graduated in the four year integrated sustainable Organic Farming certificate course since 1998.
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Woman quits accounting job to look after 3,000 HIV orphans in Uganda
Faith Kunihira, the director of Bringing Hope to the Family, on how she was inspired to take care of HIV and vulnerable children.
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Do not ignore that stiff neck
From www.newvision.co.ug
MARY Nabitalo, a first-time mother, explains that her two-month-old baby first got a fever. The next day she noticed the baby’s neck had become stiff, she was irritable and refused to breastfeed. When she rushed the baby to hospital, the baby was diagnosed with meningitis.
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ICAAP 2011: Asia-Pacific children
This week at the 10th International Congress on AIDS in Asia and the Pacific (ICAAP) in Busan, Korea, Asia-Pacific governments, HIV activists and UN officials have gathered to determine how countries can best eliminate the transmission of HIV from mothers to their babies. KC Ishdeep Kohli reports.
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Parents have no capacity to ensure children’s rights.
Parents in many parts of the country have no capacity to offer a favourable environment under which their children can grow enjoying their fundamental human rights.
The fundamental human rights that a child must get for proper growth revolve around provision of good shelter, education, medical care, food and clothing which many parents in the country may not afford to the required minimum standards.
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Lack of teachers, classrooms and toilets affecting pupils, warns headteacher
A severe shortage of teachers and facilities has hit Kyamuhemba Primary School in Lyamabwa parish, Kabarole, Uganda undermining the school’s academic performance and risking the health of pupils. KC Geoffrey Mutegeki reports. more
Syphilis and gonorrhoea increases in Kabarole youth worries health workers.
Youths in Kisomoro sub county Kabarole district, Uganda appear to be giving a deaf ear to the government’s campaign to get them to use a condom to protect against sexually transmitted infections as gonorrhoea and syphilis continues to rise. KC Geoffrey Mutegeki reports. more
HIV positive school children helped by NGO
With the HIV response taking a new direction, non government organisations are also changing tactics to tackle the epidemic. In this article, a school based care model is initiated by Christian Faith Children’s Fund in Uganda. KC Kityojames reports. more
Drug shortages in Zambia leaves babies vulnerable to HIV
Chipata Clinic, a public health centre in Lusaka, Zambia, was hit with a shortage of Nevirapine and Cotrimoxazole for children infected with HIV last month (July 2011). In an exclusive interview, the m2m PMTCT counsellor at the clinic revealed that the clinic runs out of the drugs regularly. KC Dennis Chibuye reports. more
Orphanage in Masindi rescues children with HIV and TB
Neglected children who have been abandoned as a result of having HIV and TB have found a home in an orphanage in Masindi, Western Uganda. KC Kateregga reports.
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A touching story of baby Lexie, a three year old leukemia patient
Alexandra Ajowi, a three and a half year old leukemia patient, is miles away from home receiving treatment in India, away from her family she has always known. more
KC Sharifah on maternal health demos, Uganda
KC Sharifah reports from demonstrations on maternal health in Mityana, Uganda, June 2011 more
Ministry of Health launches Zambia’s Child Health Week
Launching Child Health Week (June 20 - 25), Minister of Health Kapembwa Simbao said the country had made positive strides towards the reduction of Maternal and Child Mortality, which 2007 figures show to be 119 per 1000 live births. Although this is a significant reduction from 168 deaths per 1000 live births in 2001, Mr Simbao said child mortality remained unacceptably high and called for concerted efforts to reduce deaths further.
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Making maternal and child health work in Uganda
To address maternal and child health, International AIDS Alliance with support from DFID, organized a workshop last week (June 11 and 12). This saw 16 organizations come together to discuss the part they play in improving the lives of women and children.
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Newborn bleeds to death in hospital
From newvision.co.ug
A newborn baby boy bled to death at Gulu Regional Hospital on Monday hours after a nurse on duty put him in the incubator with his umbilical cord not properly tied.
The baby was delivered through cesarean section at 9:00pm after its mother, Patience Adong, developed complications. go
Counting my blessings in serving orphaned and vulnerable children
Helen Oyombera has worked at Nyumbani children’s home in Kenya, a home for many HIV positive children, for more than five years. A widow and mother-of-three, Helen is the home’s social worker and has seen most of the children here grow into adults. Many now look upon her as a mother, a strong tie that Helen embraces wholeheartedly. She tells her story to KC Kivuva. more
Pilot cash transfer program to assist vulnerable children
From www.plusnews.org
HARARE, 31 May 2011 (PlusNews) - Orphans and vulnerable children in 10 of Zimbabwe’s poorest districts will start benefiting from a government scheme to help them go to school, have enough to eat and access medical care.
There are about 100,000 child-headed households in Zimbabwe and a quarter of all children in the country, about 1.6 million, have lost one or both parents to HIV and other causes. HIV prevalence in Zimbabwe is one of the world’s highest, at 13 percent.
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Report findings on student feeding programs brings boost to Kenyan scheme
Well fed children perform better in school according to a report investigating the relationship between nutrition risk, hunger, breakfast consumption, learning and behavior, bringing a boost to Kenya’s school feeding program. more
Launch of innovation to reduce infant mortality from water-borne diseases
In every 1,000 live births of children under five years of age, 121 are lost to water-borne disease. Infant mortality could be reduced following the introduction of Lifestraw family water filters.
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Making a difference to the community: the shoemaker and friends
Keziah Wanjiru is on her second visit to the centre, one of her legs is laced with a cast. “ At four months she was taken ill, at one and half years she struggles to talk and walk, she has delayed milestones, says her mother.†more